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Before	After

07-02-02: I will be 50 this year and am fed up with being fat. I have been overweight since puberty, except for my skinny, smoking, drug using years at college (it was the 70's!) and I just keep getting bigger after every attempt to get smaller. I have researched this issue for about 6 years, and reading Carnie Wilson's book really pushed me over the edge to seriously consider it. Now I am committed to see it through, whatever it takes, because I really think I will die young without it. 8-14-02: I haven't updated my profile page since the beginning, but I see others that are like diaries of the struggle, and I like that approach. So I will try to do the same. My initial consult with my surgeon, Dr. Snyder, was on June 19th and went just fine. I have since had all my preop consults and lab work done. However, the Dr's office was very backed up on insurance approvals. When I called mid-July, they told me they were about a month behind, so should be getting to mine any day. I have wanted to call every day since then, but restrained myself until Aug. 9th, when I HAD to know what was going on! They said they had sent it in about a week ago, but had not heard anything yet. She also told me that their claims to United Healthcare went to two different units, one was very easy to work with and the other was a pain and never approved on the first try. I KNOW that is mine, as I heard thru the grapevine that our policy has an exclusion. I am fully prepared to fight it, but I just wish they would hurry up and respond! I already waited 6 months just to get in to see the surgeon, now I am stuck waiting for insurance. I was going to self-finance, until I started to read information here about trying to get them to pay for complications later....now I don't think I want to go that route unless I positively have to. I just can't stand this waiting!! I read everybody's stories and look at the before and after pictures and I want this SO BAD!!! I am usually a patient person, but this is starting to get to me... In the mean time, I am eating everything in sight! My surgeon told me to start walking more and go to a high protein meal plan to prepare, but I haven't managed to do either. He will probably think I am a bad candidate now! I just keep thinking of everything I will miss and wanting to have it "one more time". And of course the more I eat the less I want to move! I really HAVE to get back on track here. I also have to start attending the support group meetings. I haven't yet because they are an hour away in rush hour freeway traffic, which is hard to do for me. I have been using this sight as my support instead, but I need to see if I can find a local "angel", since I am facing this all alone. Everyone has advised me NOT to try to do this alone, especially the days at the hospital and first few at home. Hopefully someone will be willing to help me out. I am a little scared of things going wrong and having no one to advocate for me....I am nervous, but just want to get it over with!! 09-12-02: Still waiting in insurance hell! Apparently they changed their procedures, so my doctor had to resubmit the paperwork via snail mail and then were told it would be 6-8 weeks for a verdict! So still waiting! This is the worst. I am so impatient to get going. On the good side, my sister has agreed to take some vacation time and fly out to be with me for the first 4 days or so. I am so happy she will be with me for the surgery itself as I was beginning to get nervous after reading some of the stories here of hospital problems. I just want someone there who can advocate for me if I am out of it. She also has my medical power of attorney, so it would be easier for her to handle problems quickly if they come up. So that relieves my mind quite a bit. Additionaly I have now hooked up with several ladies from this site who are 50 or over to discuss possible age realted issues with this surgery. So far it sounds as though age is really not that big of an issue in the success, complications, etc concerning surgery, which is good to know. Overall health and BMI seems to be a bigger determiner, so I feel a bit more confident. I have never had any major surgeries or illnesses so far in my life (knock on wood!), so I just didn't know what to expect. My mother, who is 70 and has always been MO, has had 3 major abdominal surgeries. In one she was cut open from hip to hip! She has many comorbids, but managed to come thru them just fine, and she was older than I am now and in much worse health. So that also reassures me. I guess I am just getting nervous the closer this gets. But thanks to all the "oldies but goodies" who signed my surgery page, and thanks to my new hero, Janice Wilson. Here is a lady who went thru alot and has come out the other side with an uplifting and cheerful outlook. I will strive to emulate her, and extend myself down the line to help others on this journey as she has helped me. Thanks Janice! 09-30-02: Heard from my surgeon's insurance sumbitter today. She had called the insurance company because it had been 4 weeks since she mailed my info. They claimed not to have received it!! She insisted they let her dictate the info over the phone to get it into their database and approval lineup. Then they told her it would be ANOTHER 4 weeks. She told them she planned on calling in two because that was UNACCEPTABLE! I don't know why she FINALLY decided to get proactive about my case, but I'm glad she did. Then she called and told me this and also asked me to call my service rep and see if the surgery code was covered or if there was an exclusion, and if there was to ask for a written copy of it. That kind of ticked me off, because at my appt. in June I had told her that I had heard at work that there WAS an exclusion, and did they want me to check it out? They said NO, not at that time. So now I call and of course there IS an exclusion. They are supposed to be sending me a copy, but haven't gotten it yet. I will then send to surgeon's office and see what hoops I have to jump now. I have not given up hope, I know this can be overcome if my employer is willing. If not, I guess I will be self paying, because I need this surgery more each day. Guess the old car will have to hold up a little longer...... 10-14-02: Received a denial letter 10-5-02, based on written exclusion on "any type of medical or surgical treatment for weight loss regarless of the reason". The surgeon's office said there is no appeal in that case. I then contacted my employer's HR department to see who I needed to send my request for a Letter of Exception. Got the runaround for several days and finally hooked up with the department who handles insurance and found out that our company NEVER issues them, and the exclusion stands. I argued that this was unfair when the negotiated policy that craft employees have does NOT have an exclusion. I was told the next time it would. I then asked if any of the policies we will be offered in November would cover it. They said no, ALL would have WLS exclusions as one of many ways to keep the costs down. Colorado is unfortunately NOT one of the states with laws against this sort of thing, and it is so very conservative I doubt they ever would. So I guess I am going to pursue self payment, which I will hopefully be able to afford. I am waiting back for some answers from my surgeon first, as far as what happens if complications? Will insurance cover complications that happen in the future? What all does the cost cover, etc. I want this surgery, but I don't want to be paying $ out for the rest of my life for anything they can blame on this surgery....I am very disappointed and wish now that I had checked for exclusions in June. I could have already had my surgery and been on the losing side. Now I will have to suffer thru the holidays still adjusting to the surgery. Oh well, I guess that is the way the journey goes sometimes.... 10-31-02: Received approval on my loan today, so by Monday will have money in hand to self-pay. I called the surgeon's office immediately and I have a date! November 18th will be my re-birthday! If anything comes thru from my employer by then on covering the exclusion, great. If not I will pay for it. It was a hard decision, but my doctor told me that he has an agreement with the hospital that they will absorb any costs if there are complications, so that made the decision a bit easier to swallow. My sister will be flying in the Saturday before and staying for a week, so that will help me to handle the whole thing a bit easier. I am praying for an uneventful passage! I have gotten a lot of inspiration from many others at this sight over 50, who came thru with no complications and are doing well. I am determined to make this work, and plan to start now. This weekend I will clear my house of all junk food and get my exercise equipment all set up and ready to go. I will start drinking more fluids, getting in more protein, doing some crunches, and whatever else will make this procedure easier. I am involved with trying to get a second support group set up with my surgeon, as he is an hour's drive north of me and there are alot of his patients who live in the southern suburbs. Hope that works out, as it will make things so much easier for me. I am really not a support group type of person anyway, but my surgeon requires attendance. I know it is helpful, I am just not comfortable in that forum. Being online is so much more comfortable. But I will do it because it is important.... I can't believe I am finally going to do this! It was last year at this time that I first seriously started this journey, after about 3 years of research off and on. Now it is less than 3 weeks away, wow! 11-11-02: One week from today, I hope! I have been battling a yeast and bacterial infection both for the past few weeks. Have been thru two treatment sessions and still having problems. Not something I really want to go into surgery with, hygiene witll be difficult enough as it is. Also, I hope this doesn't mean my surgeon wants to postpone....Paid all my selfpay costs on Friday. Never wrote a check that big before! Had my preop lab work done and toured the hospital. This is becoming more real now and I am a bit nervous. Not really about the surgery, just not knowing how I will react. Trying to get my house in order before my sister arrives on Saturday. She is Miss Neat and I am NOT! But I just don't seem to be motivated. I just wish this was all over with. In the mean time I am also trying to get some work done at work, and again I am just not motivated. All I think about is the surgery, I have no focus on anything else. This waiting is HARD!! 11-15-02: Well this will be my last post before returning to work as I don't have the net at home. Only a few days to go, I feel pretty calm, but every once in a while a nerve will hit! I'm sure when Monday morning rolls around I will be in a tizzy! My surgery is first thing in the morning and the only one of the day for my doc. I think that is probably a good thing, as I won't have to wait, he won't have to hurry, and he'll be available to watch over me a bit better. I have to be at the hospital at 5:30am, yuck! Have decided to get a hotel room for Sunday night near the hospital for my sister and myself, and then she will also stay there thru the week until I get released. The hotels are only about 10 minutes from the hospital which will be easier on my sister than having to drive up to an hour home each night on a busy freeway that's under construction work and which she is not at all familiar with! It will cost me a few bucks, but at this point I think it is a better option. My dogs will go to the kennel on Saturday until I get home. They go a couple times a year and don't seem to mind. So everything is ready to go. My last appt with my surgeon went great. He is SO wonderful! He answered all my questions and told me he thinks I will be a great patient. I hope he is right! He said he can tell I have done alot of research on this surgery and know alot about it (mostly courtesy of this sight!) and he thinks people who do that do better with it. He had told me previously that the hospital would cover any immediate complication costs, but when I preregistered they made me sign a form stating I would be billed for anything beyond the standard 5 day stay. When I told him, he was furious and called the hospital CEO and got in quite a fight, because apparently a year ago when he moved to this hospital for bariatric surgeries he was assurred they would do this for selfpays. Now she was saying, we have to cover our butts, we can't do that, it's not fiscally responsible, etc. My argument is that since I am paying up front, no paperwork involved, no wait, and full costs instead of negotiated insurance costs, they should be willing to cover the complications. He agreed and also told her that the hospital does charity work, drops costs, etc every day so why is this different? He ended by saying he would have to rethink where he wanted to bring his business if this was their attitude. He then told me not to worry, that if I was stuck for some reason with a big bill, he would see that I got out of it somehow! Is he great or what? The other good thing that happened was that I lost 15 pounds since my last appt in June! He felt that was a good sign of my ability to use this affectively too. So I am feeling really good about this. Will update when I get back! 12-17-02: Got back to work for the first day yesterday, but had 189 emails so couuldn't get to this sight as I am only working half days! But I wanted to do a quick update to indicate that I survived the surgery, and am in fact doing great!! The day of surgery I arrived at the hospital and got checked in. They couldn't find a vein in my hand for IV's, so ended up doing a mainline in my neck after they put me out. I remember getting wheeled to the operating room and that is it until I woke up in ICU. Everyone checking me in was very warm and friendly, so I never really got nervous. My sister was with me until I went to the operating room. They gave me heprin for clots and got me in the messaging stockings right away. The hospital gown was plenty big and so was the gurney. So everything went smoothly. When I woke up after the 1 and half hour surgery I was in no pain that I can remember. They gave me my morphine pump button immediately and I kept that going just in case. I don't remember much from the first day, except that they did get me up to walk after a few hours and I did NOT want to do it! I had to get myself out of bed and that was hard, but I did it. Then they attached my oxygen to a little wheeled walker and away I went. I sure was glad to get back in the bed that first time, but every time got easier. I also got a few ice chips to chew on and that was heaven! I was surprised that the nose tube didn't bother me at all, I never even noticed it. Neither did the catheter. Mostly I slept. The second day I was a bit more with it, and the bed started to be uncomfortable, so I spent part of that night in the chair instead. That day I had the leak test. They put me on an xray machine that you stand up on, then they tilt you back and the top comes down over you. My head was a bit lower than my feet and they had me drink this lemon stuff. It wasn't too bad tasting and I was fine until they tipped me up. I immediately started to gag. They wisked me into a wheel chair, slapped a wet cloth on my head and a puke dish under my chin and started me back to my room. I gagged a few more times but never actually threw up. So I guess it wasn't too bad, and no leaks! By the third day I was wishing I could get out, and complained about everything. I give my sister credit, I know she thought I was being a pain in the butt to everyone, but she never said a word. I asked them about both the nose tube and the catheter and they agreed to remove both, neither of which bothered me a bit, so I guess I worried about that for nothing. That night they finally had a room open up and so I got to go to a regular room. But it was right next to the nurses station, so I got NO sleep. I was sitting on the side of the bed the morning of the 4th day when the doctor came in and said how are you? I said I am fine, let me out. He said OK! I was never so happy to hear anything! Everyone at that hospital was really nice, but I have decided hospitals are no place to be when you are not feeling sick! They removed both my drains (not a pleasant experience, but bearable) and my main line and let me out. The trip home wasn't bad at all and mostly I just felt tired. Got situated in my recliner, where I spent the next two days and nights. They had sent me home with Percocet, but I only took it at night because they jonk me. By the 4th night home I was sleeping in my bed with no medication. It was surprising to me how quickly I bounced back! Mostly just fatigue and a bit of dizziness. I did develop both thrush (yeast infection in mouth) and a genital area skin yeast infection. THAT was horrible for a few days, but the doc perscribed Difulcan for two weeks, and it cleared right up. The other weird thing that happened was that my eye sight changed! By the 4th day, I couldn't see a thing out of my glasses. That was kind of scarey! I went to my eye doctor and he did a complete examination (I only had one 6 months ago) and said my eyes were healthy, but my vision had completly flipped from being near sighted to being far sighted! How weird is that? He had never heard of such a thing, but the older doc in the practice said he had seen it very rarely after surgery. Apparently the vitrious humour in your eye (the liquid part) can flood during surgery and actually warp the lenses. They felt the sudden decrease in my blood sugar levels also contributed. So I ended up with new glasses and can now see well again, thank the lord! I was on clear fluids for the first three weeks. Amazingly I was never hungry, but I did start craving some variety by the time it got to the third week. I lost 17 lbs the first week and by the third had lost 33 lbs! I was thrilled to say the least. Now I am on pureed foods, mostly protein, for the next 3 weeks, then will transition to normal food. Thank goodness for food processors, I can even make purreed meat taste pretty good with a few additions! Feeling alot less tired and dizzy now. Getting in my sugar free Carnation Instant Breakfast every morning for nutrion and my protein shake, as well as my vitamins. I am now off of my diabetes meds and my blood sugar levels are pretty much within normal ranges! Yeah!! My feet feel about 75% better. I do have quite a bit of muscle aches due to weight shifts from place to place in my body. I also suffer from pain after sleep, I guess due to my body having to adjust to less padding, ha! But overall I feel surprisingly good. I have had no problems with eating or drinking so far, let's hope that continues! No hunger, not even any real head hunger at this point. During my four weeks at home I spent afternoons watching the food channel, which sounds crazy, but seemed to appease something in me. It didn't make me hungry to eat the food, but I enjoyed watching it being made and hearing about it. It also gave me some good ideas for future healthy eating believe it or not. I really am not a cook but it kind of inspired me! I am now just over 4 weeks out and have lost close to 40 lbs! I am so glad I did this, it was worth the expense. I know I have had an easy time of it so far, compared to some people, and I am very grateful for that. I am now at 283 for the first time in probably 10 years. My breathing is so much better, I can walk without getting out of breath or sweating. In fact my internal thermostat has switched as well, and I am no longer hot all the time, but actually feel cold! What a difference that is! I will have to buy new clothes after Christmas as my 3x's are hanging on me now. I leave for Ohio to visit the folks next Monday, and will tell my family about the surgery then. My sister who came out to be with me told them she was coming to visit, so they still know nothing. Hopefully now that I am doing fine and looking good, they won't freak too much and will take it better. Will update again after my 6 weeks doc's appt. 2-21-03: Haven't posted in a while, but my life has been a bit hectic. I was only back at work for a week after going home to Ohio for the holidays when my mom passed away unexpectedly. So I had to make a quick return trip for a week. It's a good thing I can't physically eat much, because I am a stress eater and I would have been pigging out! As it was, I did over eat twice and had to vomit it up later. It was a hard week, but we all got thru it in one piece. Since then I have been scrambling to make up all that I missed at work, between being off for surgery for four weeks, then vacation for two, then this week. So I haven't had much time to get to the boards or post here. But I had to share, since I had my 3 months checkup this week. I have now lost 76 lbs and about 30 inches! I am so happy with my results. I have had few problems so far, and I sure hope it stays that way. My switch to solid food went fairly uneventful, and so far I have not had any problems with any types of food, unless I over eat. THAT is a HORRIBLE feeling, so I am more careful now not to let that happen. I eat mostly protien and my labs all came back good, so no complaints I guess. I feel WONDERFUL!! I haven't weighed this little in 25 years, so I really appreciate it. I started at 3x and am now in 1X's, which are starting to get loose. I got new glasses that are quite "hip", and a new very short haircut that I think makes me look years younger. Now that my face is so much slimmer, the short hair looks great. I even started to wear a little makeup, wow! I get lots of encouragement from my coworkers and friends, which is so wonderful for my soul after years of listening to whispered and not so whispered cruel comments about my weight! I actually seem to have the opposite problem that some have with still feeling fat after losing the weight. I am only half way there and feel totally skinny and sexy already! Weird, huh? But then I never saw myself as looking as fat as I was. I was always shocked to see a picture and think I don't look THAT bad! So I guess that is a lucky thing for me in that I always had a more positive body image instead of negative. Anyway, I am feeling so wonderful and able to do all the things I couldn't before. Every day I feel more energetic. I will tell you that it took 6-7 weeks for the fatigue to go away, but after that every day got better until at about 8 weeks I began to feel normal again. Now of course, I am terrific. The stairs no longer stop me, I can walk several miles with no pain, I am never out of breath, I don't sweat anymore, I can wear sweaters and turtle necks again, my joint pain is gone, my activity level is so much higher. LIFE IS GOOD!! I am so happy I did this for myself. When I went home at Christmas and told my family what I had done, they were shocked. My dad was very upset that I had kept it a "secret", but my mom was glad she hadn't known ahead of time and worried. She was thrilled for me at how well I was doing, as she has also been heavy her whole life. When she passed a few weeks later, I was glad that I had gotten to tell her and she knew my health was not going to be like her's in the years to come. I think it made her happy and proud too. And I know it helped me get thru that ordeal to be physically and mentally in a better place. I know some people have problems with this procedure and I am lucky that so far I haven't, but I can only say that for me this was a lifesaver and the best gift I ever gave myself. But I have to stay on top of things because just the last few weeks I have begun to experience some carb cravings. It has taken a while but they have finally reared their ugly head, ha! My doc said if I craved something to go ahead and eat it, just only do it once in a while not daily. So I finally had some bread for the first time. It tasted great for the first two bites, but it filled me up so fast and I didn't feel satisfied hunger wise. And it wasn't mentally satisfying either. So I guess maybe my physical carb cravings are going away, and my mental aren't as strong as I thought, yeah! My protein still seems to satisfy me the most, which is good. I have no problem with the protein drinks or bars either, I can stand the taste. And I eat mostly lean meats and veggies. Guess this mental part of the process is working too!! I have still not touched sweets for fear of dumping and also that if I start I won't be able to stop. I think I will continue to look at sweets as my "drug of choice" and avoid them like the addict I was. It hasn't been as hard as I thought going cold turkey but I don't want to slip up now when it is going so well. I just keep reminding myself of the old adage, nothing tastes as good as being thin feels, which is certainly true for me anyway. I am looking forward to the future again, and that is worth all of it.... 4-28-03: I have done it! I have reached the Century Club! I never thought I would get here this fast, although the last month it has really slowed down. I made the mistake of buying a scale, now I am becoming obsessed with it. Have to try to only weight every couple weeks now that it is not coming off as fast, otherwise I will be disappointed I know. But I am so happy so far! I have lost close to 60 inches also. Now I have to increase my activity level to keep up the losses. I am going to check out Curves tonight. They profiled it on our local news, and it looks like something fun to do to get more active. Health wise I am doing great. I experienced some pain in my abdomin for about a week a few weeks ago. Was afraid it was a hernia, but doc said probably just scar tissue issues. It has passed now. My constipation is under control with the addition of a single stool softner daily. Over all I feel wonderful. I submitted my before picture, as well as pictures from about a month and 10 lbs ago to post here, hopefully they will be up soon. It is amazing to me to look at them. Especially the before picture. I looked like someone who should have been completely miserable. I don't remember feeling quite that bad, ha! The change is amazing to me. This is the slimest I have been since 1980, wow! My next goal is to get below 200 lbs. I am shooting for 9 months out to achieve that, since I know it will become much slower soon. I have not been below 200 in over 30 years, so that will be a great achievement for me.... My skin is starting to sag very badly. My belly at first was actually getting much tighter than at my top weight, and I could see my pubic area for the first time in years, ha! But now it is sagging down again and wrinkling up like crazy. I know that means the fat is going, so it is a good thing, but also means I will probably need some work done. Was hoping to avoid that. My boobs are also extremely flabby, but still not as small as I would like. My underarms are flapping, but since most older women end up with those anyway, they don't bother me as much. My thighs are the worse, they look like melting ice cream rolling down! And jiggle like jello. Ugh! Oh well, guess shorts are out for this summer anyway. I really should not complain, and mostly I don't. Just wanted to be realistic for anyone reading this, about what to expect. Emotionally, I am doing well. I never suffered from depression before surgery and have not had any problems with it after. I have become a bit more out going, although I always was with people I knew. Now I am just a bit friendlier to people I don't know well. But I have noticed a VERY big change in how strangers react to me. Before I was occasionally treated meanly, but mostly just ignored and overlooked, like I was invisible, which was OK with me and better than the nasty comments and looks I sometimes got. But now people look me in the face and smile and chat and in a word act "normal" towards me. It feels good in one way and sad in another, because I am the same person. But I guess that is human nature. I will try to remember not to treat others who are different that way when I am "normal". A nice thing for my ego did happen today. I saw a gentleman who used to work in our group several years ago in the cafeteria and he looked at me and then walked right by. I turned around and said hello to him, and he turned back and then did a double take. He did not recognize me! That was my first experience with that. It felt wonderful!! He felt embarassed and bad but I reassured him that I took it as a compliment, not an insult. And for an old lady like me, it surely was. I had also gotten my hair cut very short and a bit spikey, to hide the hair loss, as well as colored with blonde highlights, so that was a change as well and he complimented me on my new "look". That was my Century Club prize!! I know I did this for my health, but the other benefits feel good too, ha! 5-16-03: My 6 months visit with the surgeon was today. I seem to have ended the "honeymoon period" as I am stuck at 102 lbs. I just keep gaining and losing the same 3 or 4 lbs over and over! It is very frustrating. I knew it would happen eventually, but it's still a shock when it does. I am still losing inches however, so the doc said not to worry. I guess I have to stop obsessing with the scales so much. I only started to when I got close to that lovely 100lb mark, now I have to let it go again. My lab results were excellent. My glucose level was down to 102, my cholesteral is only 150, my liver functions are good, everything healthwise is AOK, so I guess I should be thankful for that. And I am, I'm just spoiled by my own success, ha! Guess I thought I would melt forever.... I did join Curves and have been working out 3 days a week for the past three weeks. I LOVE IT! I would highly recommend it to any women having this surgery. I think this is something I will be able to keep up long term. I try to walk on the other days, but don't always manage it. I am also trying to be more careful about my food choices, I have gotten a bit lax about the carbs and making sure I get all my protein, so the stall is probably partly my fault. I am determined to do better. I really want to hit 200lbs by my 9 month checkup. That's only 25 or so lbs, so should be doable. I am proud of what I have acomplished so far, just greedy I guess! I do have one other worry at the moment. I had a mammogram about a week ago, and they had an issue with something that showed up. I had to have a second and then a breast sonogram, but they still couldn't determine the problem for sure. I had this one done at a different location because of an insurance change, so they sent for my past films from the other location. Apparently they weren't very well done so they are going to try to get the films from the previous years for a better comparison. Then they will decide if they need to do a needle biobsey or not. I have to say this has me more freaked than surgery! Not because of possibly losing a breast, I could care less about that. But the thought of dealing with cancer scares me alot. I am trying to stay positive that it is a false alarm. I am thankful that they could find it easier since the weight loss, and that is probably why the other films were not good as they always had a hard time taking them when I was 52DDD! So I am grateful for that and if it is something it is apparently very small so hopefully easily treatable. I just have to keep my chin up for now until I know more I guess. As for the rest of my life, things could not be better. I almost cry daily over all the little things I can now do. I spent an whole weekend working in my yard, something I haven't done in years! I will be forever greatful for the blessings of this surgery, no matter what the future holds! 5-23-03: Well luckily the mammogram scare was resolved. After comparing the mammograms and breast sonogram to my previous 10 years worth of films, they decided it was probably just a denser than normal spot in my breast, as it had showed up previously as well. They do want to do a recheck in 6 months instead of a year just to be safe. What I wonder is why the other two locations where I had mammograms over the past 12 years never brought it up? Is this place just better, more cautious, not as good, or what? Guess I will just let it go for now. I may have to have reconstructive work done on the "girls" in the future, so I guess they will see then if there is a problem as well. I am just glad I dodged another bullet as far as my health goes. Feeling terrific, loving working out, doing scads of things I haven't done in years. THANKS DR SNYDER!! 6-09-03: This damn plateau has finally broken! I was so sick of losing and gaining the same few pounds over and over. I tried not to worry, but like everyone else I was afraid it had stopped and I would not be able to get below 200 after all. I have been able to eat more in the past few weeks and have actually started to experience hunger a little bit, so I thought I might have stretched things too much too. However last week I got weighed and measured at Curves and even though I was pretty much the same weight, I had lost 3.75 inches in the one month, mostly in my hips and waist. I thought my pants seemed larger, but since the scales wasn't moving I thought I must be wrong. So that made me feel much better and I decided I would NOT weigh more than once a week. So yesterday I got on again and I had lost 4 lbs in one week! YEA! That is more like it!! I guess I will stop trying to second guess things and just keep on keeping on, ha! I wish sometimes I had never bought that scales. The first 3 months I didn't even have one and I think I did much better. But everyone kept bugging me about how much have you lost now, so I got one so I knew. Now it has become an obsession, so it must stop.... Other than that everything is going well. I have virtually no eating problems now. As I said, my portions are getting a bit bigger, still far from normal. Getting in my liquid and protein without problems. I get my carb cravings from time to time, but I am learning to deal with that. I am loving working out and being able to do other physical things that I never could for years. Spending alot of time on my yard and garden. It feels great to be moving again. Yesterday I rolled out of bed fast and I heard this slapping sound. I thought what the heck is that? Then I realized it was my hanging belly slapping my thighs, UGH! Sometimes I forget that is hanging there. It is really getting loose. I look so slim standing up but when I sit down all that excess skin bulges out all over and I still look fat, at least to me. Oh well, I refuse to complain too much, as someone else said, saggy skin is my friend because it means the fat is gone! A few lines have appearred on my face as well, but then I noticed that people younger than me have even more, so guess I am in good shape there. I have always had oily skin, which I think has kept it from wrinkling too. And I avoid the sun as much as possible, especially in this thin Colorado air. It all helps. So I am loving life again and my next goal is cracking that 200 mark. My doc told me I should do so by my 9 months visit, if I kept on the present track, so that is what I am shooting for. Only 29 lbs to go! That will be a happy day...... I was sorry to read today that my friend from this site, Janice Wilson, is having problems following her plastic surgery. A week ago her doc was praising her for her quick recovery. Now she has a wound infection, pneumonia, and possible heart attack..I hope she will be OK. That makes me worry about getting plastics. She did have ALOT done at once, maybe that is not a good idea at our age. I am hoping to get by with a tummy tuck only. Now I worry a bit about even that..... 7-7-03: I am so excited! I got measured at CURVES last week and I lost 12 INCHES this month! I can hardly believe it! I also lost 6 lbs, so I am now at 112 total. But the inches were the most exciting to me at this point. This is such a great work out program! Quick, painless, fun, relatively cheap, and something I think I can stick with long term. It appears to also REALLY WORK!! I am feeling fabulous and keep waiting for something to go wrong (I am a used to that in my life) but so far so good. My main trouble at the moment is sleeping. I am finding it hard to get comfortable. Not sure why..... My doggy is also sick. I just spent $1000 to find out he has liver disease and there isn't much to be done for him except to try and control it as well as possible. He is a 7 year old Scottie, so too young to put down unless I have to....I hope not. 8-4-03: Another milestone reached! I bought a pair of blue jeans this week and am wearing them, my first pair in 20 years! I can not put into words how big a thing this is for me. I was a "flower child" and lived in nothing but jeans for most of my adult life, until I got too big to do so comfortably. It is so great to be able to wear them again.... It's so funny how sometimes the little things mean so much on this journey! I lost another 7 lbs and 3.5 inches this month, so I am doing very well. My body is deflating rapidly. My nipples now colapse when I lay down as there is nothing under them anymore, ha! I can lift up folds of skin and pull them away from my body. It is a very wierd feeling! Plastic surgery looks more and more like a sure thing, damn! I don't know why the idea of it freaks me out so much more than the gastric bypass, but it does. I helped a friend from work move this weekend and everyone was commenting on how I wasn't huffing and puffing or anything. I guess that although they could see the weight come off, they didn't really understand the health affects until then. I also gave blood for the first time in about 15 years. My blood pressure was 120/68 and my pulse was 66. YaHoo! I am doing so well and I feel like a new person. This has been an amazing journey, and it ain't over yet!! 9-8-03: Now down 125 lbs! It is coming off much slower now, but continues to drop, so I am happy. Soon I will be able to celebrate another milestone, being below 200 for the first time in 30 years. That will be an exciting day! My only problem is that my food issues are starting to surface again. I find myself eating more than I need to and more of the wrong things (CARBS!) then I should. I'm not hungry, it's just old habits coming back. I need to find a way to reign that in.... I don't want to mess this up at this point. I keep running into people who haven't seen me in a while and it is such an ego boost! Everyone has been so supportive, I really have not had to contend with any of the petty nastiness that some people talk about. Of course the worst are usually family members, and mine all live out of state, so maybe I am lucky that way! Now I am looking foward to fall and a new wardrobe. WOW, that is a switch! Usually I hate to shop, but not anymore. Even my feet have shrunk, and I can get into regular shoes again. Amazing! 11-17-03: Well tomorrow is my one year anniversary....hard to believe! It sure went by quickly. I am now down 138 lbs. and over 75 inches!! This has absolutely been the best thing I have ever done. I am one of the lucky ones, no problems, textbook all the way. My skin has even held up well, just alot of sagging but really not as bad as I thought it might. I will probably have to have a tummy tuck just to have pants that fit, but beyond that I may be OK. I am now in a size 14 in most clothes and can shop anywhere! YEA!! That is unbelievably exciting for me. And I finally broke the 200 lb barrier, what a thrill. My doc says it will probably take me 6-9 months to lose the last 50 lbs, but that is fine with me. The only problem I am experiencing now is sleep issues. I have trouble getting comfortable because of a lack of padding and also because of the hanging skin. But I can live with that. I resolved my constipation issues by eating 5 prunes, with a dab of peanut butter on each, every night. Along with the Benefiber in my juice every morning, that is keeping things OK in that department. I have no food issues at all. I went back to keeping track of protein and carbs again, and that started me losing on a more regular basis. Still doing Curves and loving it as much as ever. Hard to believe, ex couch-potatoe that I am! I am now facing my first holiday season of trying to eat right. I think I will be OK. Of course, I am limited in amounts, but will have to watch WHAT I eat. I think I will be OK. My sister even agreed to bake a pie made with Splenda, in case I want a small piece. I am looking foward to my family getting a look at me. Even my out of state relatives are making a point of coming in to Ohio for Thanksgiving, since I am going home, so they can "view" me! Life is so good now, the change is unbelievable. I pulled out my "before" pics at work the other day and even the people who see me every day could not believe it. They had already forgotten how I used to look (thank heavens!). My health is absolutely wonderful, my hair is startin to thicken up, I feel strong and young again. A few more wrinkles show on my face now, but what the hell, I'm not 20 anymore so who cares? I've even begun to consider dating...wow I can't believe I just said that! I haven't dated in 30 years. Don't know if anyone will want a saggy, wrinkled old broad like me, but I'm ready to find out! I hope anyone else reading this and thinking about this procedure will take me as an example that you don't have to be young and healthy for this to work, and work well. The best money I ever spent, bar none!! 4-14-04: Well it has been awhile since I updated....Felt the need since I have been experiencing some problems. I am in the middle of a forced relocation for work and under alot of stress for the first time since surgery. I am falling back into my old habits of using food to cope! I unfortunately discovered that as long as I don't overdo it, I can eat sugar without dumping. In addition, I can consume much larger amounts of food now. Between the two, I am eating badly lately. I also have not exercised in the past two months due to trying to get my house ready for sale and coping with issues with my dogs around showing the house. Altogether a bad time for me. I have actually gained for the first time since surgery, a total of 12 lbs so far. I HAVE to get this under control, I can't go in that direction again! I think I need to get back on here again.... 11-17-04: Well since tomorrow is my 2 year anniversary, I figured I should do an update! This has been a hectic 6 months for me. I relocated from Denver to Salem, Oregon. Due to the preparation for the move, the move itself, getting settled and finding my way around a new city, I let my regular exercising slide thru the summer and paid the price for it. I regained about 30 lbs before I finally realized I was jeopradizing all the effort I went thru. So in October I recommitted myself to the program. I went back to eating more protein and less carbs (those carbs will get you every time!) and exercising on a regular basis back at Curves. I started out 3 days a week and am now back up to 5 days. So far I have lost 10 of the 30 lbs, so I am headed in the right direction! My goal is to get back below 200 lbs again by shortly after the new year. I know I can do it if I stay focused. I finally came to grips with the fact that this is going to be a life-long effort for me, that I will always have food problems and I just can't eat like a normal person. I also now realize that exercising is NOT an option! If I don't do something more than normal living on a DAILY basis, the weight will go back on. Why this was hard for me to get into my noggin I'm not sure, I knew it all up front before the surgery. But I guess we talk ourselves into believing things are different now and the rules don't apply to us. NOT TRUE!! I think what woke me up was seeing alot in the media all of a sudden about people who had the surgery and then regained alot of their weight. It was a wakeup call for me, and I believe Devine intervention again! I always felt that was the case in getting me to the surgery, as alot of things fell into place in quick succession in that process when the time was right for me to pursue it. I think that was again the case to warn me that I could easily become one of the statistics of those who regain. I did some hard thinking about if I wanted to be in that position again, and wanted to waste the pain, effort, and money I spent getting it off, just so I could eat things that tasted yummy!! The answer, when I finally stopped to think about it, was NO!!!! I think partly I had such an easy time with the surgery, recovery, and weight loss I just thought that would continue without much effort on my part. I also slipped easily into my old habits without even realizing it, after I had been broken from them for over a year. Guess 50 years of habits are harder to break than I thought! So let this be a warning, this is NOT an easy or short process. It is a LIFE LONG process and you must remain ever vigilant. I can't imagine how disappointed all my friends and family will be if I fail, and I don't EVER want to be in that body again. So as my anniversary arrives, I have made the choice to go foward not backwards. This remains the best decision I ever made for myself, and I just have to keep reminding myself what my priorities must be. Two steps foward, one step back, but on the right path again!! Michael A. Snyder MD (Denver, CO) I met with Dr. Snyder June 19th, after having waited since January! That is when I attended one of his monthly seminars, which is required prior to making an appointment. The majority of questions, concerns, and information is addressed at the seminar, which means by the time you get to the initial appointment you are very prepared. This program is very structured and includes extensive aftercare and a support group that meets twice monthly. The only problem I have is getting there because it is about an hour's drive north of me. They are planning to add a "south" support group soon for that reason. Dr. Snyder is extremely personable, especially for a surgeon. Most I have dealt with in the past have had awful bedside manners and were very arrogant. But he is great and seems very compasionate. We reviewed the paperwork I received at the seminar and had filled out, and discussed my questions. He then gave me a brief and basic physical exam and said he felt I would be a good candidate! YEA!! Although it was a short appointment, I did not feel rushed. His staff is also great, and immediately scheduled me for my pulmonary and psych appointments. By the time I get them done, I should have heard from the insurance company, but I have been told by coworkers that this is not covered. If not, I will probably be self-financing, which his office will also help me with. The Dr. has just moved to a new office and it is VERY comfortable. The seats are GREAT, I wish I could find some for my house like that! There were several post-ops in the office when I was there, and all were doing great, with wonderful losses and all good things to say about Dr Snyder. I feel very comfortable going with him as my doctor. The only complaint I would have is the long wait, but I guess that is a good thing because it means he is doing lots of surgeries and honing his skills. Overall I would give him very high marks so far. Insurer Info: United Healthcare Complete runaround for two months. Claimed office was moving. Info faxed 3 times to different locations by surgeon, finally told to snail mail to 4th location. After 1 month, still not in system. Surgeon's office made them input all the info into their system over the phone. Once that was done, took one week to receive denial letter. Tried to get my company to provide a letter of exception to the denial, they refuse. Asked if any policies for next year will provide for wls, thinking I would wait and change if needed. They said "NO", all will have exclusions. This year, the negotiated policy for craft people with the same insurer had NO exclusion, which I tried to show was discriminatory. They said their new policy will also have exclusion. No compassion from this bunch! UHC did however cover all my surgeon's visits, preop testing, etc., which to me seems crazy, but I'll take it! I would recommend to EVERYONE regardless of what kind of insurance they have to call the customer service department up front and ask about exclusions BEFORE even filing the paperwork for approval. It will save you time in the long run. I had asked at my surgeon's office if I should do so, and they said Oh no, wait until we hear back. Now I wish I hadn't listened to them, I could have saved myself 3 months of waiting and wondering...

I have the surgery date set but I am feeling a little bit uneasy and would like to put my mind at ease Comments About Dr. Michael A. Snyder: I found Dr. Snyder off the internet when I was looking for information. He contacted me and told me I would need to attend one of his seminars in order for me to be seen by him. I attended and found it very interesting. I found him very polite and helpful with my questions. His staff is realy helpful. I finished all the paperwork and was sent to a phyciatrist to make sure I know what is ahead for me. She discouraged me no to get it done. the paperwork was sent my my insurace company and they took 5 months for the denial to come in. I since then transferred to another job and the insurance company then took 3 months to get approval because they said they never received the paperwork which was sent to everybody in their department. I would recommend getting everybodys name and keep getting after them. Dr Snyder gave me a booklet with all the information needed for the operation. He gave me websites which will help me with my questions. I can call him anytime with questions. On the 16 April 2002 I go in for my pre-op and on the 29 April 2002 is when I get the operation.

I've dealt with my weight my whole life. I was never skinny, although there was a time when I was much thinner. I've tried several diets, but none of them work for me on a long-term basis. I'm hoping to find the information, help, and the support I need here. *I have my first consultations with Dr. Snyder Thursday, December 13, 2001. I'm very excited, but also very nervous! *12/14/01- I had my consultation with Dr. Snyder, and he is absolutely wonderful! I can't believe how honest and to the point he is. It was rather refreshing. I'm set up with a psych eval. and waiting to hear about my pulmonary eval. Looking at surgery probably in March or April. *1/22/01- I'm still waiting for Dr. Snyder's office to put my letter together and send it to the insurance company! I'm getting a little frustrated and even considering finding a new surgeon. It's been nearly six weeks since my consultation and they promise a letter will be sent within 15 days. *sigh* I'm so anxious to get going with this! It's driving me crazy! *2/21/02- I got it! I got my surgery date! It took less than a week for Pacificare to approve it! 4/23/02 and I will be on my way to a happier, healthier, thinner me! *4/2/02- I was scheduled for surgery on 4/23/02, but it just got moved up to 4/15! Wow!!!!! Less than 2 weeks! *4/10/02- I went in for my pre-op visit with Dr. Snyder and also went for my final blood workup and urine analysis. I got 100% on Snyder's test. Yippee! Give me a gold star! :) Everything's set and ready for surgery on Monday! Wish me luck! *4/21/02- I'm home now. Got home Thursday. I've lost 11 lbs. and pretty much feel like crap! My procedure was open, so I'm sore and it's hard to learn to negotiate the new system, even on liquids. I had excellent care in the hospital and I love my surgeon! :) Will write more when I feel better... *5/5/02- I'm down 22 lbs. I had to go back into the hospital and just got home Thursday. Went through another surgery. Will explain more later. Surgeon Info: Michael A. Snyder MD (Denver, CO) I've gone to Dr. Snyder's seminar, and what impressed me most was his unbelievable passion for the struggle of the morbidly obese. I have a consultation with him in 2 days, and I should know more about him then. Dr. Snyder is an excellent person! His office is a little slow compared to what their papers say on getting things to the insurance, but that's due to some new changes being put forth by Brenda! I'm so excited! He's intense, and he cares a lot about his patients. Aftercare is stressed greatly. I will let you know more when I see him again for my pre-op appt. on 4/10. My surgery is scheduled for 4/23. Insurer Info: Pacificare I didn't have to deal with them at all. Dr. Snyder's office sent the paperwork, and in less than a week I was approved and had a surgery date. The best recommendation I have is to make sure you have complete information when you go to your Surgeon for a consult.

I am a 41year old male.I have been over weight all my life.Going through school sucked.Skinny kids have no idea how it feels to be fat.They are so cruel.It has not been any better as an adult.No matter how active you are you are still known as that fat person.when you are over weight you spend your life settleing for things in life.Well i am tired of settling.As i get older i find i can't do things i used to. Comments About Dr. Michael A. Snyder: I went to doctors meeting and was impressed.Everyone was so nice.doctor was just great and had overweight poeples best intrest at heart.He has an office staff that is second to none.The two ladies working in his office are angels.Every body answered all my questions in detail and so i could under stand.I would highly reconmened dr. Snyder to any one interested in this surgery.I think he was the best doctor that i would wait till i could get a surgery date with him.I can not stress enough about his office staff.They were great to talk to and very understanding.It is very hard waiting for insurance approval and when calling office the staff was AWESOME!!!!

Before	After

I want to have this surgery just to "feel better" in general. I am only 33 years old and I have diabetes, sleep apnea, pulmonary hypertension, high blood pressure and asthma. I really want to be able to get out more and do more things, I am very excited about the opportunity to have this surgery! 10/19/01 I am scheduled for surgery on 12/10/01 and I am so excited!!!! 01/02/02 I am now 3 weeks post OP. I have lost 35 pounds and already feel better. I was in the hospital for 5 days and had a wonderful nursing staff. I was very well taken care of all the way around, I had very little pain. I am excited to keep losing the weight. 01/16/02 I am now 5 weeks post OP. I have lost 42 pounds it was harder in the last 2 weeks than it was before. I have not taken any blood pressure, gastric reflux or diabetes medication since the surgery. I feel great. I will start back to work next week. 01/22/02 I am now 6 weeks post OP. I have lost 46 pounds. I started to work this week, but have only been working 5-6 hour days. I get so tired I go to sleep for several hours after I get home. I am now taking B12 and liquid iron, so I hope the tired feeling goes away. I am now under 300 pounds, just barely under, but under never the less, I haven't been under 300 pounds in 5 years. It feels great! 02/06/02 I am now a little over 8 weeks post OP. I have never felt better. I have now lost 50 pounds. I have been back to work for almost 3 weeks and I am walking a mile a day at lunch with my co-workers. Everyone I see tells me how good I am looking these days. All of my previous medical problems are still doing fine and I am still using a C-pap machine for my sleep apnea, but no medications at all. I am usually pretty wired with energy, especially in the morning, some people have a hard time keeping up with me and that's a first! 02/19/02 I am now down 63 pounds. I feel great and my clothes are very very loose. I bought a size 28 suit about a month ago, because on occasion we have to dress up at work. I could bearly keep the skirt on today. I have never been so happy or felt so proud of myself. Not a day goes by when someone doesn't tell me how good I look. 3/31/02 I am now down 84 pounds. I am in a size 22, although it is a little tight. I can wear a 14/16 top and I quit using my C-Pap, unofficially. I still feel great and can't believe how well I have done. I have given away several boxes and bags of clothes that I will never have to wear again, I can fit in a booth in a restaurant and I don't have to wear a seat belt exteneder anymore. YEAH!!! 5/07/02 It has been a while since I update my profile. I am now down to a size 18 or 20 and I have lost 97 pounds. I still feel great and have had no set backs. I would definately do this over again in a heartbeat! 6/30/02 It has been a while since I updated my profile. I am down 111 pounds. My weight loss has slowed down a little bit, but I am really not discouraged at all. I fit in a size 18 now. I have a terrific support system both at work and at home. I have never felt better. Some of the people I know who haven't seen me for a while don't even know who I am, what a great feeling! 8/14/02 It has been a while since I updated my profile. I am down 120 pounds. My weight loss is a little slower, but I still feel and look great! I am down to a women's size 16 or a regular misses size 18, it feels terrific. I went to our county fair and saw people I haven't seen for years and most of them didn't know me at all, which felt terrific. I am now 11 pounds more than what I weighed in high school, I can wear my letterman's jacket and my prom dress (it's a little too large). I have no regrets and I don't miss food at all! 11/17/02 It has been several months since my update. I am down 137 pounds. I am 3 pounds away from where Dr. Snyder said I should be at my 1 year appointment, which is Decemer 12th. I sure didn't think I would feel this great a year ago. I started working out 5-6 days a week. I walk 1/2 hour a day and do the workout 1/2 hour a day. Pretty good for someone who never exercised. 04/06/04 Hi! It's been a while since I updated my profile, I was laid off from my job a year ago and have been struggling with finding a new job ever since. In weight loss land, I am down 165 pounds, I have never felt better and I still exercise regularly. I would like to have plastic surgery, but the costs won't allow me to do that at this time. In October I will be getting married, I never thought that would happen, best wishes to all who are having the surgery and if I can be of any help please email me!! Michael A. Snyder MD (Denver, CO) My first impression of doctor Snyder was he is totally committed to help in the fight against morbid obesity. He made me very comfortable from the very beginning. Doctor Snyder has a very well structured after care program and he really stresses after care. He addressed all of the risks of the surgery and makes sure you understand them. I would not have had anyone else do this surgery for me. Doctor Snyder has surgical competence and a great bedside manner. HE IS THE BEST!!! Insurer Info: United Health Care

Before	After

Diet history and letters are at the bottom of my profile, updates moved to the top. Ok, here are my pre-op measurements: Height 5'3" ..........6/20.....8/27.....10/6......11/17....1/06 Hips....54.75.....51.......49.......47.......45 Waist...54.......47.5.....44........38.......37 Chest...51........46......42..........40.......39 *Thigh...32........24......23.5......22.......22.5 (thigh measurements haven't been very consistent some were taken higher or lower on the leg so they look funny) Arm.....17.5......15......15.......14.5.......14 Bra......44........38......36.........34.......34 Butt....(??).....45.5.....45.........43.......40.5 234 - Official weight on 6/12/01 193 - Unofficial weight on 8/27/01 190 - Official weight on 9/19/01 180 - Unofficial weight on 10/1/01 167 - Official weight on 12/17/01 154 - Official weight on 2/11/02 140 - Unofficial weight on 6/18/02 165 - Unofficial weight on 09/16/02 155 - Unofficial weight on 02/10/03 128 - Official weight on 2/11/04 135 - Official weight on 9/2/04 145- Official weight on 5/4/07 Journal and updates 6/20/07 Hello all you wonderful people who are thinking about or have had WLS. Today I am officially SIX YEARS Post op. I can hardly believe it. And even though I haven't posted here in two years, the big news is how little news there actually is. My marriage is still going strong. My weight has gone up a bit in the last couple of years, but I am just not focused on that. I really believe that what is important are my habits, not my results. That is what I preach, that is what I practice. I read Paul Campos's book "The Obesity Myth" and was just blown away. I am more convinced than ever that our culture needs to stop focusing so much on a person's weight as if it it equated with their health and instead start focusing on what is real about health, like eating balanced foods and exercising regularly. And as you ALL know, those two things do not a skinny person make. So, I'm a bit of a missionary, out to spread the word that nobody should "diet". And don't hand me that line about how your diet isn't a "diet". If your focus is on weight loss, it's a diet. Statistically, all dieting has ever done is make people fatter. Most people would NOT be here reading this if they had not been dieting most of their lives. Instead of focusing on losing weight, we would be better off focusing on things we know extend our lives. Exercise is a big part of that. So is good nutrition, but it's very hard to find nutrition information that is not biased toward weight loss. Whole grains, lean protiens and a good variety of fresh fruits and vegetables are the best advice I've ever heard and that applies to EVERYONE. I have not interest in portion control, calorie counting or anything that calls itself a "substitute". But, that's just me. Has this made me skinnier? Probably not, but it definitely makes me healthier. And they tell me I'm "hot". So even for the vain (which I am), this approach seems to work. The best part about this surgery is that I will NEVER AGAIN be on a DIET. And neither should YOU, I don't care how much you weigh. I am always happy to answer questions and be a resource for others on this board. Till next year I guess.... 6/20/05 So, there I was last night, sitting with my gorgeous husband and it was just past midnight and I checked my email and there was this message saying Happy Anniversary. I got all teary eyed and my husband asked what it was. I said, it's been FOUR years since I had my surgery. Four years from the most life changing thing I've ever done and my life has transformed so much that I need an email to be reminded. I hope that is a good sign for all of you. I have not forgotten any of what I've been through, but I have thoroughly moved on. So I am still a pretty small person, about a size 10 and that's just fine. I've gained a few pounds lately, but I'm not worried about it. I am reading The Obesity Myth by Paul Campos and I SO Recommend it. He's pretty down on WLS, but he also glosses over the fact that truly morbidly obese people are different than overweight and obese people. Everything he says about dieting and public attitudes is RIGHT ON. That book and Laura Fraser's "Losing It" are my best reading recommendations. I'm also doing Hatha Yoga every week with my husband. He loves it and gets a great workout and I love it too. I'm healthy and happy. I eat what feels right, follow basic rules, try to exercise as much as possible (without making it a chore) and my weight is just fine. My husband loves me and loves my funny little pouch of a tummy. We're going to be working on a baby soon. This surgery continues to be everything I'd hoped for. Please feel free to email me if you have questions. I can't believe I'm four years out and writing all of this. Blessings to all of you out there who have lived with obesity, no matter where you are in your journey. 12/17/04 Ok, so it's been WAY too long since I updated. But I got married and got a new job and it all kept me very busy. I got a new picture up though and wanted to post a little something too. My weight is up about ten pounds from when I last posted, but I really don't care. And I honestly mean that. I'm holding steady at 135 which is in the "ideal" range for my height. I'm still a size 8/10 but I'm past the desire to wear 8's just because I can. Now I mostly wear 10s because they're really more comfortable and I'm all about comfort. My husband is extremely loving and he loves my flabby tummy. He says I have the softest skin he's ever felt and that my tummy is extra soft. Do you suppose this is because the skin has loosened? That's my theory. I'm having some medical problems these days with my bladder. I don't think it's at all related to the surgery, but it is a real bummer. Has anyone out there heard of or been diagnosed with interstitial cystitis? That's the current theory. I have a lot of thoughts about the surgery and would like to go into detail about it, but I don't have time right this moment. I just want to re-iterate that I am very happy with my results and would do it again in a heartbeat. 3/10/04 - 2 years and nine months post op Well, I've had some thoughts lately that I wanted to share and my profile seemed like a good place for it. First of all, I'm STILL losing weight. I weighed in at 126 on the doctor's scale recently and that's just insane to me. My original goal was 125, but I never expected to reach it. And I am embarrassed to say it, but sometimes I forget how it was being heavy. This really bothers me. But I am really getting skinny now. My size 10 jeans are really too big for me and I can wear 6s with no problem. I think if I had a Panni, I'd be a size 4. What's up with that? I was so worried last year when I had that brief regain, that I have held on to all my size 14 clothes for all this time. I finally let some of them go last week because I'm actually feeling like I might never be that big again. And people are starting to tell me not to lose any more weight. Well, the thing is that it's not like I'm a WLS saint or anything. I mean I slip in a piece of cookie here and there, and I know my carb intake is too high. Occasionally I drink soda, mostly just sharing it with my honey, but still, that's the biggest WLS sin there is. Trust me, if this was a diet, I'd be off the wagon. And yet, my weight is either steady or decreasing no matter what I do. It's like all that time that I couldn't lose weight is very similar to now, it doesn't seem to have anything to do with my behaviour. The biggest thing that keeps me in check is that I dump pretty bad. I find that particularly during and right after my period, I dump on almost anything that isn't pure protien. I also dump on things like potatoes and pasta and salad dressing. Oh, and sugar of course. Sometimes people notice that just after I've eaten I don't look so good. I explain that this happens after I eat. Twice people have said "every time you eat?" And the truth is it's more often than not. I can control it, by making very, very good food choices, but most of the time, I try to eat off the menu. Oh, I eat out almost exclusively, that is part of the problem, but a long story. So be warned pre-ops, you will really have to pay attention to every meal. Or, you may not dump at all. I know it's a mixed blessing because it keeps me from eating nothing but crap, but it sucks that I dump so often. I still consider it a small price to pay for my improved health. So here is the other problem I have and I know all of you pre-ops will groan, but it's true. I don't fit into anything anymore. I don't want to run out and buy a bunch of size 6 clothes because I don't want to put a lot of pressure on myself that I have to stay a size 6. On the other hand, I'm secretly hoping/worried that I'll drop even more weight and be an even smaller size. And this bothers me the most. I mean, I have found a wonderful man who doesn't care if I gain it all back. Plus I "look great" as long as you don't look at the actual hanging skin. And I'm truthfully smaller than most of the women I know. And I'm the one who was always on a high horse that we should accept our weight no matter what. And here I am, checking the scale every day, making sure it's not really above 125, hoping it will drop down to 120. My scale is a little lighter than my doctor's, I only post doctor scale weights. But the point is, I just can't shake this mentality. So, no great words of wisdom here, only musings and ramblings from a post op. 2/16/04 I noticed it's been forever since I posted. Bad Kathryn. I am still losing weight and looking forward to my wedding. I still consider this a huge success and would recommend it to anyone. 6/20/03 Can it really be two years? No way. It's so hard to believe it. Two years ago I weighed 95 pounds more than I do today. I had been chubby, then fat, then obese, the morbidly obese. Then I did the scariest thing I've ever done and by gumby it worked. Everything changed for me the day I had my RNY. It is definitely a crossing over. Over the past two years I've become more and more accustomed to being a "normal" person. I am less sensitive to the diet commercials and fat jokes and needlessly cruel comments. But I will NEVER really get over these things. I still feel I'm a fat person looking skinny. But I've been able to be more than a fat person too. And that has been a very liberating experience. I had a real scare last fall when I started regaining and went back to 165. I was scared that the surgery had failed, scared that I had failed. And I was dissapointed in myself both because I was heavier than I wanted to be, and because it bothered me so much. Now I am down to 140 again and I am still scared. For some reason I still want to be a size 10 when I get married next May. The desire to be skinny and pretty is very real. I must say that through it all my health has only improved. I have some things I live with due to the surgery. I do dump and sometimes it's very unpleasant. But I know lots of people who have sensitive stomaches and I don't think they're any better off. I can now climb to my third floor office with only a minor amount of heavy breathing. I can keep up with my fiancee when we hike in the mountains. I see my chiropractor every few months instead of every week. I just don't have a lot of the problems I used to. It's truly a wonderful thing. From a personal standpoint, I'd have to say that this surgery has been a great success and the second best thing that ever happened to me. My fiancee is first best, but I believe the surgery led to him so it's all one big great package. I still recommend lots of research and thought before having this surgery. But I am happy with my decision and have no desire to go back to my pre-op life. I'll keep you all posted on the wedding. 03/11/03 Before my surgery, I had some really big concerns that I'd never find love. I thought that even if someone did love me, I'd be too caught up worrying that they only loved the new me, not the old me. This was a big concern for me. I remember writing, maybe even on my profile that I figured if anyone ever wanted me, I'd have to whip out a picture of the old me and say "Yes, but would you want her?" Then a year out from my surgery I meet this guy who's in a local band and I know he's attracted to me because I'm so skinny and would never have looked twice at me if I was still obese. But it didn't really matter because we were having a very superficial thing and it's not like it was love or anything. Well, as I grew closer to him, I got more and more concerned about the fact that I'd never told him about what I'd been through. I tell everybody else, but it didn't seem like information he needed at first. Then when I did think I should share, I couldn't find the right words or approach. Suddenly, two weeks ago, after nine months of knowing him, he told me he loved me. And even then, I didn't know how to tell him. I tried so many times and I just couldn't do it. So last night, I finally did it. I took a deep breath and whipped out my worst pre-op picture. I handed it to him and he said "is this my baby?" I sort of nodded. He held it up next to his face and said: "I think we make a cute couple." I was floored. He couldn't have said a more perfect thing. Later, he told me that he loved me in all sorts of ways, and he said, "and you know that girl in the picture you showed me today, I love her too." Again, the perfect thing to say. I know that he and I wouldn't be together if I had been obese when we met. But there are lots of things in his life past that could have prevented us from being together too. And he loves me now and he loves all of me. I feel like that fat girl is getting his love just as much as the post-op girl. And boy are both girls happy. We took pictures last weekend and they are coming soon. Did I mention he's GORGEOUS!!!! :).......... Anyway, that is my happy news. The other nice thing about him is that he is wonderful about my food needs, and he trusts me completely. If I say it's ok, I can have a treat, he believes me. If I tell him, I just need to get some protein, he caters to me. And he always watches to make sure I'm getting my vitamins. He is very good for me in lots of ways. 02/10/03 Yes, I've been away too long. Just a few quick updates here. I think I experienced something many people do. I was at a very low weight when I last posted. A weight I couldn't maintain. I then gained quite a bit, almost 30 pounds. This was horrifying. I felt like such a failure. Then I realized that I could really see why I had gained. I really was eating a lot of sugar, like a whole peice of cake or several twix bars in a day. And my exercise had dropped off to almost nothing. I reluctantly saw my surgeon and he gently reminded me of a few of the basics and it worked. I'm back down now to a fairly reasonable weight and I feel that I am in control of that. This is the first time in my life that I actually felt like I had some power to keep my weight in check. It's not easy like it was a year ago. But it's not nearly as hard as it was three years ago. 6/18/02 Wow, here it is, just two days away from my one year anniversary and I haven't updated my journal in months. That's how it is folks. You get to loving life and being skinny and you forget how imortant the surgery was just one year ago. I'm weighing about 135-140 these days. I may drop lower, may not. My clothes are size 8-10, who'd ever have thought I'd be saying these things. I'm a real skinny person. Guys hit on me everywhere. Even the really intimidating bar scene doesn't phase me now. I've got people telling me I'm a "total hotty". It's so bizarre that this is happening to me. I met a guy who I really like, in a really superficial way and he likes me in a really superficial way too. I don't necessarily recommend this. But, the long time boyfriend and I had to finally call it quits, and something light and superficial is just what I need to get through some down time. I can definitely say that I love that I had this surgery and would do it again in a heartbeat. No regrets at all. People don't recognize me, and new people can't believe I was ever fat. I guess the thing I wish for myself is that I felt more of that bond with obese people that I used to have. When I'm out and meet people who are obese, I can tell they're thinking I just don't understand them (at best). Or that I'm just a stuck up skinny person (bar scene). And I want to just tell everybody I meet that I was fat for a long time and it's only through this miraculous surgery that I'm a skinny person now. I also worry a lot about regaining the weight. My capacity has really increased and I find myself obsessing about everything I eat. Did I get enough protein? Did I do too much sugar today? Why am I so hungry? The worst part is that a part of my brain knows that if I did get too much of something, I won't really see the results for a while so when the scale goes up, I've already done the "bad things". Or, it could just be that time of the month. So I try to stick to the rules, and not obsess. I guess we'll see what the surgeon thinks. I'm seeing him next week. I know he'll scold me on some of my food choices. I have been VERY good about walking and getting exercise on a regular basis. I dance a lot. That's because I love to do karaoke and see live bands. Did I mention that the cute boy is a guitarist? I'm his groupie. Only he actually likes watching me dance and kisses me between sets. Amazing. It's my little high school dream come true. So there's my update. Pictures and a full website update will be coming, I swear. As always, feel free to email me. 2/18/02 I met a great guy last night who is MO and was scheduled for surgery. He changed his mind and has been doing a lot more exploring. He'd never been to this website though so I gave him the address, hopefully he'll visit. But what it got me thinking about was that I really was a "lightweight" when I had this surgery. My bmi was 41 which was plenty high for me, but his is much higher. And I felt like I had to be very careful to focus on the number that seems to be real consistent which is an 80% loss of excess weight. And you know what folks? I'm there. Yes, ladies and gentleman, my scale dipped below 150 this weekend. So according to my scale, I have now last 80% of my excess at the time of surgery. I figure give or take a few pounds and this might be where I land. Now, according to my theory and the charts, I should be down another 20 - 25 pounds to be "ideal". And I think that will happen because I seem to still be losing and I'm not even 8 months out yet. However, I think there's also a good chance that I will "bounce back" a bit too and spend the rest of my life somewhere between 125 and 150. So, the test has come. Kathryn the preachy who said you should be satisfied if you don't reach goal must ask, "am I satisfied?". And the truth is, I really do want to lose another 25 pounds. I also really want to see my skin tighten up a little. But would I go to Weight Watchers to lose that 25 pounds? NO! Would I take Metabolife? NO! If this is what "normal" women are busy trying to diet away, they are truly wasting their time and money. I may be a little "overweight" with a bmi of 27, but I don't care. I am healthy, strong, limber, active and happy. And I can truly say that if I never lose another pound, it was all worth it and I'd do it again without a second thought. And in the end, all I can speak to is my experience. I'm pretty happy with where I've come. 2/6/02 Trips to the mall I hate going to the mall. Ever since I was twelve years old and an obnoxious little girl told me �your ugly and your mother dresses you funny�, I�ve hated the mall. Then there was the time I was about 17 and a size 16. A friend pointed out a store called �5, 7 & 9�. Those were the sizes they carried. She said, �They have really cute clothes.� I said, �What do I care, they don�t have anything that would fit ME.� But at that time there were other stores in the mall that did have clothes that fit me. As the years went by I found that there was only one section of Mervyn�s that carried real plus sizes. I found other places to buy clothes. I avoided mirrors; I avoided the mall. Besides, all that walking was so hard with more than 100 extra pounds to carry. I was pretty hopeful about my first post-op mall trip. I remembered lots of posts about people dropping 8 or 10 sizes and I was down more than 40 pounds. I was very optimistic. Well, I went to Mervyn�s and tried a size 16 on. Oh, big mistake. All these memories came flooding back of putting on what I thought was my size and finding that, in fact, I was 4 sizes bigger. It bulged all over, and looked like a fat girl was in it. I was so upset, I didn�t want to go to the plus sizes. I wandered through Sears and J.C. Penny and it was clear, there was still nothing at the mall for me. I needed the outfit so I went to the fat girls store that was my old standby and I thought, �this is the last time�. I had needed the outfit for an interview. It was a size 18. I wore it to every occasion I needed to look professional for over the next four months. I saw my weight continue to drop, my clothes got looser. I had no job, I couldn�t buy clothes just because I wanted to. And I really didn�t want another disappointment. Well, I still don�t have a job, but the activity is picking up, interviews are happening. I don�t look good in the 18 any more, it�s just way too big. So I decided to bite the bullet and make another trip to the mall. As usual I started at Mervyn�s. One of the things I needed the most was a new bra. In the car I measured my bra line. 34 inches, I�ve been told to add 2, that made me a 36. I�ve always been a C cup so I tried some 36 Cs. It fit fine around the bottom, but my boobies were falling out of the cups. Did I become a D cup? Well, sure enough, the 36 D fit. I guess this means I�m still �full figured�. I felt so wonderful wearing a bra that fit right. Wow, my chest is actually bigger than my stomach. Having achieved my bra find, I was ready to venture into the real test, the dresses. The path to the �misses� section took me through the �Women�s� section. Where do we get these labels? So, I lowered my eyes and told myself over and over, these aren�t for you anymore. Even if you like them, they won�t fit you. And I made my way to the little clothes. I felt like Sam in the Fellowship of the Ring. I�d never been that far from the shire before. What was this place where sizes didn�t start with 2s. What was I doing here? Who was I shopping for? It couldn�t possibly be me. I was ultimately disappointed with the selection so I ended up walking the entire length of the mall to get to Foley�s. The last time I was able to shop at Foley�s, it was called May D&F. But, I thought they had good clothes, that was somewhere in my memory. I ended up gabbing with the woman at the sales counter. It was slow and she helped me picked a dress and jacket. I told her why I had no idea what size I was. She was very interested in the surgery, fascinated, as most people are. I selected a 14 and a 12 and went to the dressing room. The 14 was way too big. The 12 fit like a fitted dress. My waist isn�t exactly in the right place, but it still didn�t look like a square peg in a round hole. I twittered as I told the lady that the 12 fit. Then I tried some jackets that were size 10. They�re a teeny bit tight in the arms. But I bought them anyway. The last time I was a size 10, I was also age ten. I left Foley�s with a heavy bag. I was happy, and I was at the end of the mall that had my old favorite pizza place. I stopped for a pizza. I occasionally eat pizza since the surgery, but really just the toppings and maybe a bite or two of crust. Now I had a heavy bag and a whole pizza and I had to walk the entire length of the mall again to get to my car. Plus, I was hungry. As I carried the pizza, the smell overwhelmed me. I had to have a bite. I found a place to set it down and took a bite. Then I looked around guiltily. Did someone notice the big fat pig who couldn�t wait to eat her pizza? Well, no, they may have noticed a normal girl who couldn�t wait to eat her pizza, but the realization made the eyes feel different. I don�t know if people thought that way before. I don�t know if they thought better of me because I wasn�t fat. And you know what? I don�t care. I wiped my hands and kept going. I stopped twice more to eat a bite of pizza. After all, I�m supposed to eat slowly. And my dis-interest in the people watching me only increased. By the time I made it to Mervyn�s, I was holding my pizza and dresses proudly and thinking that all that walking and carrying was good exercise. I�d really hardly touched the pizza and enjoyed a real piece when I got home. Then I modeled my new clothes and I kept trying to figure out who it was in the mirror. When did I start enjoying who I saw in there? When did I stop looking at her to begin with? Why do I now want perfect hair and a perfect face? When did I become so vain? I think it was when I started looking in the mirror again. Now I want new casual clothes and new going out for karaoke clothes and a new hair do and new, new, new. But, I�m still losing and I�m still unemployed so I shouldn�t be buying anything. Now my willpower is being challenged in a whole new way. Now instead of avoiding malls, it will take all the strength of a diet to keep me from going back. 02/18/03 MALL UPDATE If you read later posts, you will see that I mention a "cute guitarist", his name is Greg and he is very cute and very special to me. What is funny is that this mall I keep talking about is also Greg's favorite mall. So twice now he has taken me there to shop. And there I am, walking around this mall that was so ominous and on my arm is the best looking guy I've ever dreamed I could be with. So, the ending just keeps getting better. 1/6/02 I just updated my measurements. I found a dilemma. See if I suck in, even a little, it can make an inch or more difference now. If I did suck in inches, it would be a lot lower all the way around. Well, except my butt, arms and legs. I lost the most in my butt between this time and last time. Hmmm, no idea what's up with that. I'm also at a point where it's lots of loose skin. On my arm, it's probably a good inch of extra skin at this point. I guess we'll see how I firm up. I don't think any of it will require skin removal surgery, but it definitely gets loose folks. :) In clothes I'm wearing about a 14 or a medium. But I actually bought a sweater that had an S as the size and it fits great. I can wear size 12 or 14 jeans, made by different companies. Neither one is comfortable, but I didn't need pliers if you know what I mean. I don't wear them much now, I can wait till they are comfortable. I'm on a break from Yoga for another couple of weeks. I feel great, need a job, need a lot of work on the emotional side. I must say though, the surgery has done everything it was supposed to for me. 11/5 It�s been a very long time I know. First of all, I haven�t found a job and that�s partly why I haven�t posted. I won�t go into how hard it is for me to be not working, but I know I will get a job when the time is right. Now, the other stats. I�m 4.5 months post op, open RNY. I�ve lost about 60 pounds, which drops me from 235 to 175 (5�3�). That�s on my home scale which is generous. People are starting to say things like they didn�t recognize me. That is nice to hear. I�m not sure what size I am. Probably a 16 since the 18s are big. Not having a job, I don�t want to really tempt myself with clothes. Not just yet. I must share some other thoughts though. I have come to a point where I very much feel a different treatment from people. People flirt with me more, smile at me more. So many subtle things I can�t even describe. And yes, I feel so much prettier. I feel downright sexy sometimes and then I think that I�m only half way there and I�m going to be just amazing. And I love that, I mean who wouldn�t? And yet, I�m so uneasy about it. I get uncomfortable when people mention it. I�m highly sensitive if people notice, but even more if they don�t. I know why this is happening. It clarified itself several ways on Sunday. After Quaker meeting, some of my long time friends were talking to me about it. One told me several times that I was prettier and seemed happier. And she�s right, I am prettier, I do feel happier. The other friend said something about beauty being from the inside. Well, I have to tell you, I think that�s just not true. I am absolutely the same person on the inside. But I am far more beautiful on the outside. Now, I also know that this is because inside I feel better and that really shows. But that�s sort of a chicken/egg argument. I don�t think I could ever have achieved this kind of self image without this major weight loss. And this bothers me too. I really hate that I am part of what I believe is a very awful set of stereotypes and prejudices and the worst thing is I�ve applied them to myself. And yet, it is the truth and there�s no denying it. Ok, so that�s been floating around my head for months and those of you who�ve known me know that I really struggle with the desire to be thin, and yet a real defense of people who aren�t, for whatever reason. So that�s been troubling me and not having a job is troubling me, and I�ve been sort of fretting. And there I was at Quaker meeting (before the conversations mentioned above), and I was really deep in meditation/prayer. I was trying to envision myself in this new job that I want really bad. It�s a high level job, and almost out of my league, but I really want it and think I could do it. At any rate, I started to picture myself in this new job. And I pictured myself in smaller and smaller dresses. And I sort of began to think into the future. And I realize that my future is one of being a thin person. Not just someone who�s losing weight or lost weight. That�s what I am now. But someday, that will all just be part of my past and I�ll just be the thin person that I am. What a concept. I mean, what an amazing thing for me to entertain. And all of a sudden, I got this really strong message (which is very rare for me). The message was that this is the beginning of a new me and it�s time for me to look at that. I don�t know how to be the thin Kathryn. I�ve been so busy protecting the fat Kathryn and the post-op Kathryn and I don�t even know the thin Kathryn. But she�s just around the corner. And while I may or may not get this job, this thinner image is going to manifest. And then I�ll be somebody else. Eventually, I will not notice every flirtation. Someday I won�t take fat jokes as personally, I already tune out diet commercials because they don�t apply. There�s a whole world out there where it really isn�t an issue. Whoa, that�s heavy for me (no pun intended). So, I�m trying to let go of some of my bitterness and defensiveness. I still love the person I am on the inside. I love her and will defend and protect her forever. And she has definitely been fat. But now, I am just starting to celebrate the person I am on the outside. And I think I�m going to enjoy it. I think I�ve been given permission. 10/1 I really had to update, so much has changed. First of all, all my medical problems are GONE. I feel healthy, my labs are good, life is good. Well, life could be better because I'm currently searching for a job, but that's a different story. I am now definitely a size 18, in fact 18s are getting loose already. The weight loss seemed really slow for a while. In August i crawled down from 195 to 190, then sat at 190 until my 3 month appointment. Then one day I was 185 and within a week I was 180. I keep getting on the scale to make sure it's true. I can see that I'll probably sit at 180 for a while, but I don't care, because 180 makes me officially HALF WAY to my goal weight. In 14 weeks. Woo hoo. I took 3 month Yoga follow up pictures. They are amazing. I really think this has helped me. I love how much better I can do Yoga now and being able to see so much improvement makes me do it more and more. I'm finally getting rid of all my 2X clothes. There's a WHOLE bunch of them. Some are really nice too, hopefully I'll find good homes for them. 8/24 Time for an update. I think I was about 3.5 weeks post op when I got really dehydrated. At the time, my potassium was 2.6. This is bad, anything under 3.5 is bad. However, the things they had to fix it were time release pills/capsules or a drink. I tried the drink, I really did but it was so awful and I threw it all up. So, they sent me home. Then my potassium hovered at about 3.1 for the next 5 weeks. At week 8, I developed a kidney stone. This sent me to the hospital where I got good pain medication and lots of fluid and that took care of the kidney stone. In the meantime, the admitting doctor saw that my potassium was low and continuing to be low and insisted that I couldn't leave the hospital until it was up to normal. This took 6 days and had to be through the IV. I don't have space to go into all that happened at the hospital, but I have to say this. I told the dr. I needed protein, so he put an order in for a "high protein" diet. This gave the kitchen the message that they needed to add things to my menu everyday. So did they add good sources of protein? No, they added apple pie, and pudding, and just all kinds of strange things. I didn't eat any of it, but it bothered me to see so much go to waste. I tried to get them to stop but as long as that order was there, they kept piling it on. Oh well, there's the update. I'm now down 43 pounds. 8/3 Ok, Bad Kathryn. I haven't updated in a long time. I do encourage people to visit my surgery page because it has all the info. about my surgery which was relatively normal. I'm now six weeks post op. What to say. I had a lot of struggles the last few weeks. Lots of vomitting and nausea. I've also completely failed to get in my protein and sometimes not even my water. Nor have I exercised deliberately until yesterday. So much for all my pre-op resolve to get my protein, water and exercise. However, this is only the beginning, plenty of time to correct these things. I will say that every day gets better and I'm enjoying eating small amounts of real food again. I mostly eat turkey from the deli and cheese and cottage cheese. Oh, and pickles. But I think the pickles are dangerous and sometimes cause nausea. The good news is I'm down more than 35 pounds and officially under the 200 mark. I try not to focus on the weight loss because everything else has been so rough. I don't want people to ignore the hard part and only look at the weight loss, it just doesn't seem right. I will keep posting, but don't want to take up too much space. I may delete some of my pre-op stuff because I'm now definitely in the next stage. 6/19 - One day pre-op All right, there is no way to describe how I feel right now. I'm still panicked that something will go wrong and I won't be able to have it. I'm so ready, and yet so scared. I want to post all the things I've done to prepare in the last week: I had an extra therapy session, a wonderful meal at the Fort in Morrison, CO, several "last" meals at other favorite places. I'm supposed to eat light today and nothing "fibrous". I had accupuncture yesterday, he said he "hit stomach 36 bilaterally" which will make my stomach strong. I joked that I hoped the surgeon would still be able to cut it. :) I also had a chiropractic adjustment twice in the last week. AND I did Feldenkrais yesterday. Bethany worked on my front and back to relax my breathing muscles and my stomach muscles. I'd been having a lot of pain under my left breast and it was all gone after she finished. I also did Yoga last week and we focused on opening the chest and breathing (which is always part of Yoga). At the end of the class the whole group chanted for me. For my surgeon, I've been on stool softeners (oh yea, they soften) for the last week, and I have my betadine soap ready for two showers in the next 24 hours. Um, I've got a medical power of attorney and all my medical records that might be remotely relevant. I'm pre-registered with the hospital. 90% packed. I have a ton of before pictures and measurements. Gee, do you think I'm ready? 6/4 I haven't updated my profile in a while but I've been very active on the message board. Thinking and writing about the upcoming changes. The news is I have received approval and my surgery is SHEDULED for 6/20. That is just around the corner, two weeks away. I am a little nervous but at great peace. I can't wait to see what my new life will be like. 5/10 I was updating more often but the news has been changing slowly so I'll just update when there's something to say. I had all my tests on 5/1 and I have nothing that looks cancerous at all. YEAH! I am ready to send my paperwork to the insurance company, but have to wait till Monday till someone can review them and get them to the other person who will then send them to the ins. co. I have made many friends from this website and they are all very precious to me. I have also been an angel and it is by far the best preparation I could have for the real realities that are ahead for me. Hopefully my next update will include insurance info. 4/10 Wow, it's been a while. Well, the ovary is better, but now I found out I have "displasia" which may or may not be spelled that way. On 5/1 I'll go in to have it looked at more closely and hopefully it's nothing pre-cancerous. The other news, well, I went to California. I can completely understand people in Cali feeling even more pressure about their weight, wow was it superficial. The hardest part was with my grandparents. I haven't told them yet, or anyone in that part of my family. At dinner my Grandpa commented to me that there were a lot of calories in the desert we were about to have. I told him I wasn't worried about it and he said "you never change". I bit my tongue, let me tell you. My boyfriend heard it and said in my ear, "don't open up a can of worms". So, I didn't say anything but it was hard. This part of my family are all chronic dieters who think they're fat as soon as they hit the double digit sizes. I know I'm their worst nightmare. I hate to think I'm doing this just to show them, but in some ways I am. Of course, I'm also really thinking about my other health issues. I still had a lot of fun in California and I was grateful that Disneyland and Universal Studios were just uncomfortable and not impossible. My picture is up now, that's kind of scary for me, but I'm glad people can see what I look like, even if it's a horrible picture. 3/29 I'm still having problems with my ovary, but I'll see the doctor for that again tomorrow and hopefully get some better information. I saw my Feldenkrais lady last night, anyone curious about this, let me know, she's awesome. I asked her to write me a letter and she did and it is at the top: 3/23 Well, I have not had a good week, but it's not really part of this journey. I did get to be a real angel this week. I saw Sue Marks the day of her surgery and with any luck i'll see her again today. She's so sweet. I think this surgery is going to be wonderful for her. I can't wait to meet her outside of a hospital. She was drugged but she told me I'm beautiful. Wasn't that sweet? 3/10 Wow, all kinds of good things have happened. I've met some lovely people on this website and they are all angels to me. On Saturday I was honored by Sue Marks and she is letting me be her angel. She'll be crossing over in just ten days so I'm very excited for her. I also got to meet several post-op people in person at the support group last night. It was a big group and I just wish I'd had more time to get to know everyone. Sue Nelson invited me and she is really amazing. I also had my psych. eval. Hmm I'll have to post more in depth thoughts on that later. Of course, the best news is that I'm getting new insurance on 4/1. The new company is Anthem BC/BS of Colorado. I'm going to have all my ducks in a row for them. Last week I did an average of 3000 steps a day and I did Yoga. No 5000 step days though. I lost my pedometer for the last four days so now my averages will be off. That's all right though, I'm still doing something every day. Work is good too right now. :) 3/5 I'm really up and down today. I had stopped taking Zoloft but I think I didn't take enough time to wean off it. I was doing Serzone but that was really not for me. I took 25 mg. of Zoloft today which is about the smallest dose, half a pill and I felt so much better. However, everyone is pushing my buttons today. I'm just kind of down. I got sick of waiting to hear if I have insurance approval, just for the psych. eval. and so I'm making a bunch of phone calls. Since it's Monday, I'm going to start journaling here. I met all my exercise goals last week, I walked every day, the pedometer helps me make sure and I did no less than 3000/day. Thursday-Yoga and Sunday, long walk with my dad, my first day over 5000 steps. Tomorrow is another day. 2/5/00 I'm just getting the hang of posting and keeping updated. I met with Dr. Snyder last week, he was really wonderful. Today I went for my gall bladder ultrasound. The receptionist said "this wasn't very nice, he circled morbid obesity on here, aren't you just having gall bladder problems." I smiled and said "nope" and told her all about the surgery. She told me she was just starting a new diet, and (the usual), that I don't seem fat enough for the surgery. After I told her about Dr. Snyder and the free lectures right there at her hospital she seemed very interested. Ever since I decided I want this I've been so much nicer to myself. Plus, I've lost 2.5 lbs just by not dieting for the last month. I'm having lots of trouble with insurance but what else is new. No date yet, but the ball is rolling. 1/00 I've been battling my friends and family for years. They all want me to lose weight, but none of them understand what I'm just learning, that none of the things that they think about weight loss apply to someone who is morbidly obese. Even without surgery, knowing this makes me feel better than I have in months. Diet history: Age: 12 Duration: 3 months Weight lost (range): 10 pounds (140 to 130) Regained (timeframe): 20 lbs. (six months) Diet Details: 1000-1500 calories/day, vigorous activity daily Lessons learned: 1500 calories a day is not very much food. Vigorous activity directed solely toward weight loss is unrewarding. Eggs are a great source of protein and can be cooked without fat. Age: 16 Duration: 1 month Weight lost (range): 15 pounds (150 to 135) Regained (timeframe): 20 lbs (four months) Diet Details: Whole foods, planned meals, vigorous activity daily Lessons learned: Whole foods are nice to the body and going off them quickly is not nice. Eating only whole foods is very time consuming and requires lots of cooperation. Age: 18 Duration: 4 months Weight lost (range): 10 pounds (160 to 150) Regained (timeframe): 20 within two months Diet Details: No sugar, low fat, scheduled walks and health clubs Lessons learned: Most health clubs are not friendly to fat people. Friends can be helpful in establishing an exercise routine, but they have lives too. Just cutting out sugar and obvious sources of fat doesn�t help my weight much. Age: 20 Duration: 6 months Weight lost (range): 10 pounds (160 to 150) Regained (timeframe): 10 within six months Diet Details: Whole foods Lessons learned: Whole foods are easier to find than they used to be but switching to whole foods alone does not make me lose much weight. Age: 21 Duration: 3 months Weight lost (range): 15 pounds (170 to 155) Regained (timeframe): 15 within three months, steady rise after that Diet Details: Slimfast, shake for breakfast and lunch, real food for dinner Lessons learned: Not eating breakfast and lunch is hard and shakes get old fast. Any cheating is enough to throw off the weight loss and sticking to no food before dinner is almost impossible. Age: 27 Duration: 18 months Weight lost (range): 30 pounds (240 to 210) Regained (timeframe): 20 within three months Diet Details: Metabolife, Low Carb, High Protein diet Lessons learned: High protein is code for high fat, this diet made me feel unhealthy. Low carbs is fine but no carbs is very hard on my body. Metabolife contains ephedra, which over the long term seems to produce very unwelcome side effects in me, namely irritability and a worsening of depression. I was advised by several providers to discontinue any form of ephedra, regardless of my weight loss. Herbal supplements without Ephedra were not effective for me. Letter from Bethany: To Whom it may Concern, I have worked with Kathryn C. using the Feldenkrais Method since April 2000. In my work I help people find movement patterns which will be more comfortable, healthy and effective for them in their daily lives. Both movement and posture involve how we use our skeleton, and how bones are aligned. Excessive weight can both make it more difficult to maintain healthy movement patterns and alignment, and can cause greater damage (wearing of joints) where there is poor body use. For Kathryn specifically, I believe that difficulties in her feet and ankles, knees and low back are aggravated by her weight. Having excess weight leads to a tendency for her to pronate her feet, and have an exaggerated lordosis in her low back, in turn creating stress on her knees. These tendencies combined with more of her weight being in front, have a direct affect on her upper back, neck and shoulders, as they are riding above and compensating. Significant weight loss would allow Kathryn to have a better chance to maintain healthy ways of moving and holding herself. It would help her to participate in and enjoy exercise more fully. This would make a great long term difference in ther health and quality of life. I have found Kathryn to be dedicated to her health. She is willing to devote time and energy to it, and make it a priority, she does research, and gives a lot of thought to her choices. Sincerely, Bethany Cobb, guild certified Feldenkrais Practitioner Letter from Dad: Dear Decision Maker: My name is Les Canges and I am Kathryn Canges� father. I am writing this letter to support Kathryn in her efforts to obtain Weight Loss Surgery (WLS). I believe that throughout her life Kathryn has tried to be as active and healthy as anyone but it hasn�t been easy for her. I know she has eaten knowledgeably since childhood and that she wasn�t as prone to the junk food excesses of adolescence and early adulthood I�ve seen in many of her peers. I also know that since I retired six years ago Kathryn has renewed her efforts to eat well and to exercise within the limitations of her body, which is 100 pounds overweight. I have watched sadly as my vigorous and intelligent daughter struggled with her desires to be active and the growing toll of a body in a very visible disease that she was unable to control, even with the best of intentions and practice. When he was alive, my father and I were the same family body type, somewhat endomorphic. As an older child and adolescent, Kathryn was the same. However, after her significant increased weight gain in early adulthood, I read several scientific and newspaper articles regarding popular weight loss methods. What struck me most was the futility of the diverse programs that people used to lose weight, and then gain it back. This U function was stable and depressing. This mirrored what I�d seen in many colleagues, mostly women, who would try one diet after another, lose a dress size, and then gain it back and often then some. Some were obsessed with food whether or not they were dieting. It is for this reason that I never recommended any of these programs to Kathryn, even though many of these same people who had so much trouble of their own tried to enlist me in supporting their current diets du jour for Kathryn. I can verify that nutrition conciousness was always a part of Kathryn�s upbringing. Neither my wife nor I ever dieted to lose weight. But we did understand the nutritional value of foods and tried to bring that knowledge to the table. In general we ate balanced meals with a tilt toward being vegetarian. We avoided �junk foods�, refined sugar and refined flour. I�ve always been a gardener and we took pride in eating vegetables from it. Interestingly my son, who we adopted from Viet Nam ate similarly to Kathryn and myself and grew up to be a very healthy, athletic and active mesomorph. I am also aware of the effects of this disease on Kathryn�s mental health. I know that she has seen many worthy therapists and has been on antidepressant medication. I am convinced that her It is to her credit that she is productive and responsible. Morbid or clinical obesity is a needless physical and psychological burden. Given her particular history and motivation, WLS has the most statistical probability of success to cure this disease. And, my letter, this has been shortened from the original one I posted but is more organized and to the point now. This is sort of my life long diet and exercise history. Weight Loss History Narrative for Kathryn Canges Childhood The first time I noticed I was fat I was eight years old. I had just been given my first perm and I was checking out my new self in the mirror. At eight years old, reaching for a comparison, the only thing I could think is �pretty cute for a chubby girl�. By this time I had already received a thorough indoctrination to healthy eating. My mother started me off �right�. I wasn�t allowed to have refined sugars, only honey and pure maple syrup. No artificial colors or flavors and lots of whole grains. Soda was out of the question. Nobody would eat at my house because we ate all this weird health food. I remember eating seaweed and tofu before I ever remember stepping on a scale. By the time I was eight or nine, my mother was fighting breast cancer. She had restricted her own diet to a macrobiotic one that didn�t even allow for fruit. She was determined to beat the cancer through dieting. About this time she realized that a macrobiotic diet isn�t always practical for young children. She lightened up on what we were allowed to eat as she limited her own diet. Eventually she found she was unable to stick to the strict diet and did put herself in the hands of the doctors that she�d been avoiding. My mother did not have a weight problem during my lifetime and was never obese. Even though she went through the same things with diets and failing on them, her goal was not weight loss, only better health. In 1982 she died at the age of 37, I was ten. Teenage Years My first real diet was when I was twelve. I have always loved Ice Skating and had decided to start taking lessons again. My coach, who was very overweight, wanted me on a diet. She said that it would be easy because I was young. She got me a book to count calories and I told to only do 1000 calories a day. At twelve I was extremely active. I walked to school, about two miles up a very big hill. During the summer I rode my bike to a drama camp that was also a good two miles up a hill and down the other side (so, actually up-hill both ways). I was also ice skating and doing lots of exercising with my girlfriends. I was naive and believed that if I stuck to this level of activity and the 1000-1500 calories a day, I�d lose lots of weight, and maybe get into those old pants that no longer fit. I was wrong. I lost about ten pounds, but no inches and I was miserable and feeling starved. I did learn to count calories and I got my first real taste of the diet mentality. As a young teenager I looked into Weight Watchers but didn�t think I could justify spending money on it since I didn�t have a job or anything. I did start buying diet products, drinking diet soda, eating Weight Watchers frozen food, anything that seemed like it would help. I remember being told by several women over the next 10 years that I should join them on their diets. I began to realize that this was a pattern and one I�m ashamed to say I fell into later. People always want company in their diet misery and they think they are helping you. None of these women ever lost noticeable amounts of weight. In my teen years I tried many things. The most radical was a 5 day fast that I actually managed to do. However, I did not lose weight. During this time I was also attending support groups. I was doing my own spiritual and psychological exploring and felt I was on the path to enlightenment. In the groups I was taught, �You can do whatever you set your mind to� and �If you learn to accept it, it will change�. Every time I did a meditation or personal review I came to the same conclusion, the thing I wanted to change was my weight, and I was going to do it. Sometimes that would lead me to diet (I can do anything I set my mind to), other times I deliberately did not diet (If I learn to accept it, it will change). Neither approach worked at all. In high school I was involved with backpacking, rock climbing, swimming and Yoga. On one trip we spent a week at the Esalen institute where our food was very regulated and �healthy�, my exercise level was high, we walked everywhere and swam and worked for the institute. It was almost like being on a fat farm although the purpose was physical enlightenment, not weight loss. I lost about fifteen pounds, but it came back really fast. In my later teens I worked with friends to do regular exercise from daily walks to health clubs, Holiday (now Bally�s) and Mademoiselle. I was humiliated to walk in the door of Holiday and wasted about $4,000 on a non-refundable membership. I stuck with Mademoiselle a little longer, attending �Slimnastics� class and lifting weights. After about three months of this my friend had stopped going with me and I was having some severe physical problems that required a minor surgery. By the time I recovered I was not interested in Mademoiselle. It had not helped me lose much weight and it came back so fast it seemed like a lot of work for very little return. Adulthood As a young adult (early 20�s) I decided that the exercise approach had been humiliating and un-rewarding. I wanted to look more at my eating habits. I had a consultation with Jenny Craig, but couldn�t justify the cost and I was leery of all the pre-packaged food. I discovered that we have a lot more health food stores these days and I began eating whole grains, and fresh fruits and vegetables again. I swore off soda altogether and started reading labels. I didn�t count calories, but I did note ingredients. Anything that had sugar as the second or third ingredient was out. I worked to make my vitamin intake part of my daily eating, avoiding �empty calories� and trying to make sure I was eating a �balanced� diet. I lost about 15 pounds, and rapidly regained it all. Several things happened when I was 21. In August I got pregnant, in September I lost the baby. By December I was in the throws of a horrible depression. I had always had problems with depression, in part due to my weight; however, the pregnancy and events around it were too much for me. I sought help. In February I was encouraged to try antidepressants. I agreed and began taking Zoloft, this made me feel so empowered that I gave in to the commercials and decided to go on Slim Fast. I was eager and confident that with this new medication I�d be able to control my hunger. I also determined to make the hunger my friend and learn to be with it because no matter what, this time I was going to lose weight! After three months of torture and several hundred dollars, I had only lost about fifteen pounds and it was already starting to come back. Between 1993 and 1996 my weight increased 70 pounds. Compared to 1990-1993 when I only gained a net ten pounds, this was a huge increase. I have struggled to figure out what caused this increase. I was paying attention to my eating having teamed up with a new friend who had studied nutrition. He did not have a weight problem, but was very interested in healthy eating and our schedules allowed us to eat dinner together every night. By this time I was firmly planted in the notion that I was not �dieting�, I was �eating healthy�. I believed that if I thought of it in health terms, I would be more likely to lose weight. After all, if you eat right and exercise, you won�t be fat, right? Well, wrong for me. My weight went up, and up, and up. I remember when I crossed the line into obesity. Fortunately I had lots of people around me who assured me that it wasn�t a big deal, that fat people are ok, that I was healthy and that�s what mattered, etc. However, my health was deteriorating and so was my psyche. After I crossed the 200-pound mark, my health got noticeably worse. By then I had read the statistics and new that diets fail 95% of the time. I wanted desperately to lose weight, but I didn�t know how. I kept looking for a solution that had some statistical merit; I didn�t find one. I began to have pain in my stomach that a year of invasive and unpleasant medical testing could not explain. I started to see a chiropractor for low back pain and I still see him every week. During my trials with looking for reasons for my physical problems, I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia. Though this is not a weight related illness, the advice I was given was the same: eat right and exercise. By this time I was very defensive about my eating and exercise habits. I was stretching every day, doing the Yoga I�d been taught as a child and young adult and walking regularly. My father was recently retired and worked with me to eat healthy food and keep me active. Even with all this, I downplayed my physical and nutritional efforts. We are all conditioned to believe that people who are obese are not eating right and exercising. I didn�t acknowledge my own efforts because I figured if I was really doing all that, I�d be losing weight, and of course, I wasn�t. The past five years In 1996 I began to work with a massage therapist for the Fibromyalgia. She was a registered nurse and had first hand knowledge of the things that can go wrong in a human body. She taught me a great deal about biology, anatomy, nutrition and healthy eating. She also taught me to listen to my body and be kind to my body. During those years (1996-97), I also met a woman with Naturopathic training. She took me shopping and helped me identify healthy foods and how to prepare them. She also started me on a bunch of vitamins. All of these things helped me to feel better physically and I did lose some weight (about 15 pounds). However, it came back even though I continued the reformed diet and physical focus. The good thing is that I didn�t gain much more after that. Since I hit 230 in 1996, my weight has fluctuated 15-30 pounds, and been as high as 240. Also in 1996, I was seeing a Psychiatrist. She was concerned that my weight issues were overshadowing the antidepressants. During counseling it was obvious that this was the issue that I couldn�t get past. No matter how well my life goes, no matter how much money I make, no matter how good my love life is, I�m fat, and I hate it. She recommended that I consult my PCP about Redux, which was new on the market at the time. My PCP was very matter of fact with me. She drew a graph that went down and then back up. She told me that this is what happens when people try to lose weight, with or without medications. She said that I would have to make lifestyle changes either way and explained to me what �empty calories� are. She never asked me what my lifestyle was, how often I exercised or what I ate. She discouraged use of the medication and sent me on my way. This deterred me from seeking �medical� supervision as an effective weight loss strategy. In 1999 I was inspired again. A friend of mine had lost a lot of weight by taking Metabolife and doing a high protein, no carb diet. She looked great and I was ready to try anything. For 18 months I took Metabolife. I did two weeks of absolutely no carbs at the beginning and then followed an Atkins type diet, of primarily protein. As time went on I found that the lack of vegetables and concentration of allowable fat was not feeling very healthy or wise to me so I stopped the Atkins part of the diet after about three months. I continued to take the Metabolife and focused on eating less often and smaller portions. I enjoyed the increased energy I felt from the Metabolife (which is essentially a bunch of natural speed), and I did lose about 30 pounds. However I began to have negative effects from the Ephedra in October and discontinued it on the advice of my therapist. I tried several non-Ephedra �natural� diet supplements but they did not control my appetite and the weight came back with a vengeance. The present By December of 2000, I was a mess. I was so depressed about my weight that I became hypersensitive to any comment anybody made about anybody�s weight. I did permanent damage to some very old friendships because I was so frustrated. My research continued to show that diet and exercise programs don�t work for significant, long term, weight loss. The magic protein and supplement diet hadn�t worked and I didn�t know what to do. I continued to feel hopeless and desperate until I heard about the advancements in WLS in early January 2001. As I researched, it became obvious; this is the only statistically proven method of long-term weight loss. I want to have weight loss surgery for some very practical reasons. If you�ve read this far, you know that I know a lot about healthful eating. I want very much to be able to eat a diet my mother would be proud of. I want to eat all the good stuff and none of the bad stuff. I know HOW to do this; I know what good eating is. I know how to read labels to determine sugar content, protein, carbs, fats and calories. I want to apply this knowledge without starving. I have come to realize that what others see as piggish ness or lack of will power is just hunger. I know that my body amplifies hunger and has trouble achieving satiety. I also know that, this is genetic. I eat when I�m hungry and enough to get full. If I were a normal person, this would be the best way to go. Listen to the body and give it what it needs. I want this surgery so that I will have a more normal sense of hunger and be able to achieve satiety. Many of my current ailments would be relieved or eliminated by a significant weight loss. These include: severe low back pain, ankle and knee pain that makes it impossible to run or jog, foot pain that requires custom shoes so I can walk without discomfort, shortness of breath with the most normal activities (walking through a store), sores and rashes under my breasts and between my thighs, recurring yeast problems in my bellybutton, dangerously elevated cholesterol, fatty liver and of course, depression. The out of pocket costs for my efforts to lose weight and treat my weight related illnesses are rising. I spent a little over $2,500 in 1999 and almost $4,000 in 2000. At this rate, I will be spending more to treat my problems than the cost of the surgery in just a few years. I have a strong financial investment in my health but it�s hard to spend so much money and feel I�m going backwards. After the surgery I will have to be very active. I�ve started gearing up by exercising every day and doing vigorous exercise two-three times a week. This is the standard that only 22% of all Americans actually meet. Post-op, this will be crucial to my success and I am looking forward to it. I have always enjoyed exercising when it was in a safe and accepting atmosphere. As I lose weight, that safety and acceptance will be easier to find. Many people are nervous about the post-op �lifestyle�; I am not. I welcome a low calorie diet that does not involve constant hunger. I do not think I�ll really miss fried foods and heavy sugars. The best part about the post-op life for me is that I�ve worked very hard to surround myself with support. I have a chiropractor (and acupuncturist), a massage therapist, Feldenkrais practitioner, yoga instructor, nutrition expert, psychiatrist, psychotherapist and a group of wonderful friends. I think the biggest support will come, as it always has, from my father. There is also a nationwide on-line community ready to help with answers and support and even a burgeoning community of WLS patien

I am returning to work on 11/12 and looking forward to it. Comments About Dr. Michael A. Snyder: Dr. Micheal Synder is a very fine doctor.

have been overweight for last 20 years. Moved to mountains outside Denver Dec 99 and now my 375 pounds is really a problem. Something about being at 8300 ft.... Will be 40 next year...IT'S TIME 04/19/2001 I have switched jobs since my first entry. Had initial evaluation with Dr. Michael Snyder of Denver. Go for Psych evaluation 4/23/01 and Pulm Phys 4/24/01. Then, it is up to insurance. I have talked with UHC and they seem to indicate that at my weight, there won't be a problem. I'll post again after my 4/24/ appt. 5/3/2001 Psych exam and Pulm went fine. To be quite honest, I thought the psych exam was for the most part a waste of my hard earned $$ (she was out of area for UHC). But, I'm sure it served it's purpose. Rec'd call from person who sent in insurance approval request last night. They have forwarded everything to the insurance company and will follow up with them either Friday, 5/4 or Monday 5/7. The said that they hoped to have a decision by UHC by next week. I am still very hopeful that I can have this done by June 1st. I haven't weighed in a couple of months so not sure where I am exactly but if my clothes are any indication, I'm a little concerned I may have gone over that 400lb mark. This morning, I have taken my self off sugar drinks. I figure if I have to do that after the surgery, might as well get one of the changes overwith right now..why have it hit all at once. That may not be a big deal for some, but I am use to having 10-12 dr. pepper/Mr. Pibb's a day!! Can you say "Addiction". Will check back once I hear from insurance. 5-14-01 I'm approved. Have surgery date 4 weeks from today, June 11th. I'll state again what I have heard others say over and over. Keep calling everyone you need to in order to get an answer. I have never been fond of the greasy wheel effect but it is what will work in this situation. 19 days and counting until my new life begins. 5-31-01 Just returned from my pre op visit with surgeon. Everything is a go. I have to go to the hospital next Monday,June 4th, for a sonogram of the gallbladder and some blood work but other than that...it is a GO! I really expected to be nervous right now..being 11 days out...but, not yet! Got weighed today for the first time in a long time...my heaviest ever...397. EEEEK Final Update before surgery..June 10th..night before surgery..I have managed to get my weight up to 411 pounds..GEEZE, ready for this to STOP!! See everyone on the other side. Michael A. Snyder MD (Denver, CO) What is there not to say about Dr. Snyder. The main thing I can tell you is that the two times I did have to page him (and I hated to do that) he returned the call inside a minute..no joke, I didn't even think the page would get to him that quickly..the man CARES!! He is your surgeon, cheerleader and friend. Is there anything I could say that isn't so good..well, the only thing I could possibly say is that I think he has just a little drill seargant in him! LOL I wouldn't have used anyone else..He's great Insurer Info: United Healthcare Update 5-14-01: I'm approved. The two I have spoken with are both very nice. Pat (nurse) and Nancy. However, I just found out that what they have been telling me the last two days about not having my paperwork wasn't correct. They have had it the last five days. Now I am told they are trying to get ahold of my benefits dept because we are self insured!! WHAT? That is the first I have heard of that. I was able to find an old policy and it says this surgery is specifically excluded. I left another company that had insurance that was going to pay for this because a good friend(vp of the company) asked me to come work for him. I did my homework and found out UHC was pretty good about this surgery. NOW THIS!! I hope to find out tomorrow for certain what is going to take place. If it is excluded, I just let myself get screwed big time!!

I have been looking into having this surgery for a very long time, and I can not believe I am finally getting started. I truly did not believe my ins would cover this procedure but after only 4 hours they approved it. I STILL CAN NOT BELIEVE IT!!! I have an appt. on May 23rd to see Dr. Snyder and hopefully get a surgery date soon there after. I will keep you posted. May 23, 2001 I met with Dr. Snyder today and everything went great. I have a surgery date of June 19th 2001. I am very excited and scared. This website has helped me so much. I think I may be addicted to it. I also had my pulmonary appt today and the Dr. said I was as healthy as a horse, only problem is my butt is almost as big lol. I have my appt with the shrink tomorrow. Well I will keep you posted. May 29, 2001 Well I went to the shrink, and all went well. I thought it was a waste of time and money. But it was required and so I went. My surgery is 3 weeks from today and I am going crazy from the wait. I have researched this for a couple of years now and never thought I would be at this point. I read all the profiles and I just want to be on my way to a thinner person. I know I know patience is a virtue, but come on 3 weeks can feel like a lifetime:) June 6, 2001 I went to the hospital today and pre-registered and had all my pre-op blood work done. WOW only 12 days away, I sure hope time goes by a little faster. I have learned so much from this website and met alot of great people. I have an appt with my Dr. on June 14 and I will update more then. June 12, 2001 Well one week from today and I will be getting ready to go under the knife. It is all starting to sink in now, I keeping thinking one more week and I will not be able to eat most of the foods I now enjoy so much. But then I think I will be losing those foods but gaining a new life, a great life. I will be able to do more things and enjoy life. I am scared, nervous, and excited all at the same time. I am very confident with Dr. Snyder and his surgical staff, so I know I am in good hands. June 14, 2001 I had my pre-op appt today and all is well. I will be having my surgery on June 19th at 1015. The nurse from United Health Care called me to wish me luck and answer any questions that I may have. I thought that was really cool. I am ready I have waited so long and I can not believe it is finally gonna happen. June 18, 2001 Well it is now the day before I have my surgery and I must say I am really nervous and for some reason I have been a little depressed the last couple of days. My friend took me out to lunch on Saturday and we talked for hours. She had her appt with Dr. Snyder today. Good luck Cindy. I am getting ready to and take my first betadine shower, gross. Well that is all for now I will see everyone on the otherside.LOL July 10, 2001 Hello from the other side, I am now 3 weeks post-op and 25lbs gone forever. My god what an experience. Dr. Snyder was great but I must say the nurses did not have me up walking like I was told, so be sure and make them help you walk. Anyway I am feeling better and better every day I still get tired very easy, but I hope that improves soon. I will up date more later. September 20, 2001 Wow it has been a long time since I have updated this. I just had my 3 month check up and Dr. Snyder says I am doing wonderful. I have lost 50 lbs in just 3 months and I feel great. I have a ton of energy and I love shopping now. I am in a size 16 jeans and some 14's. I wear a L or M shirt. I can not believe how wonderful this has all turned out. I will try to update more often. October 22, 2001 Well I am at 165 lbs, I am in a size 14 and even that is getting a little big. I feel wonderful!!!!!! This surgery is the best thing I have ever done. My husband tells me every day how wonderful I look and how great I am doing. I can tell my pouch has gotten bigger, I can no eat about 2.5 to 3oz at a time. I am 4mths post op and I have lost about 60lbs total. The weight loss has slowed down a little so I am gonna have to figure out how to kick it back in high gear. My goal is to be down to 150lbs by xmas. January 9, 2002, WOW a new year and boy has my life changed. For the better of course. Well I down to 150 lbs and I went to see a plastic surgeon about my tummy and I am happy to say I am having my tummy tuck on Monday January 14, 2002. And United Healthcare is paying for it. I am so happy. I will write after and let everyone know how it goes. Take care and happy losing. September 27, 2002, Oh my goodness I can not believe that it has been so long since my last update. Where do I begin so much has happened in the last 9 months. I had my tummy tuck and I am so happy with it. I am now at about 130lbs. Sometimes a few pounds heavier sometimes a few less. I am gonna post some pictures as soon as I can. I look back at the pictures of me a few years ago, and I can not believe I was ever that overweight. This surgery was truly heaven sent, and I owe it all to the best bariatric surgeon, Dr. Michael Snyder. Surgeon Info: Michael A. Snyder MD (Denver, CO) May 23 2001--- I met with Dr. Snyder today and he is a wonderful Dr. Though I think the scale in his office is a little outta wack. Ha Ha I am looking forward to having my surgery with him for my Dr. Very nice, kind and considerate man. Kinda skinny though. lol:)October 22, 2001 Dr Synder is such a wonderful surgeon, I owe him so much. I can not say enough great things about him. If you want the best Bariatric surgeon around, go to Dr. Snyder:) Insurer Info: United Healthcare United Healthcare I so great, my paperwork was faxed over at 9am and at 1pm they called and told me I was approved. I have been floating on air every since.:)

My surgery is set for Oct.8th 2001. I feel like this is a dream come true, an answered pray, a 2nd chance at life. I'm a little scared but I beleive in god to bring me thur this & I'm looking forward to my melting down process asap. Comments About Dr. Michael A. Snyder: He was very friendly to my daughter and I. Everyone at suport group and his office is very nice & very informed about everything that I've asked about. He went over all the info with me. My surgery is Monday Oct. 8th 2001. I've heard nothing but good info from the other patients about him and his manner of dealing with his patients.